Story Enduring on the Lake

[Kathy in FL]

Chapter One

“Syd this is just plain crazy,” Belinda said looking over my shoulder at the list that Dad and Mom had texted me that morning.

I didn’t want to tell her this was just an addendum and that the real list was pages and pages long or I’d go from “plain” crazy to whacked-out-fruity-belongs-in-the-nuthouse crazy. “It isn’t crazy, it’s a shopping list from my parents. They want to make sure that everything is ready for them to bring Aunt Rhonda and Patrice up here this fall,” I told her using the cover story my parents had developed. “There’s going to be a lot of us using the cabin which means a lot of food and supplies. They’ll bring some but stores aren’t exactly close by around here – the bait and tackle shop doesn’t count – and with Patrice being so bad and Aunt Rhonda still going to be in the recovery phase of her treatment they aren’t going to want to risk exposing them to germs by going out in public too much. Besides, what are you complaining about? You love to shop.”

“For shoes, jewelry, and the clearance rack at Neiman Marcus … groceries and the kind of stuff on this list do nothing for me. Who wants to traipse through hardware stores getting stared at by a bunch of rednecks?”

It took a moment to decide whether she was making a joke or just being rude. I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and just let it go. “Wow, you used to love being stared out by the guys up here.”

“The guys around the lake … most of whom know how to shave and cover their butt crack and don’t have a beer gut that makes them look pregnant.”

I sighed and wondered for the eleventy-dozenth time why Belinda had even asked to come to the cabin with me. Getting fed up with her attitude I told her, “Look, why don’t you just hang out down by the lake. I’ll run into town and do the errands. They’re my parental units so their orders are my responsibility. This way you can work on your tan or whatever.”

Belinda looked guilty for about a half second before agreeing saying she had a headache and just needed some time to get rid of it then she would help with the end of summer clean up and maintenance. “I still don’t know why your parents didn’t do this while they were up here. You aren’t their slave. They boss you around like you are still a little kid and worse. And even when you have days off you hardly make the time to have fun anymore.”

I shrugged and told her honestly, “Your definition of fun and mine aren’t exactly the same thing these days.”

Defensively she snapped, “Oh yeah? Pardon me for wanting to enjoy life with a little party every now and then. What’s your definition?”

It only took me a second to come up with an answer for her. “Being able to sleep at night because I know I’ve got all the money to pay for my books and tuition, car insurance, gas, and a little extra for emergencies before the begin of term starts.”

“Oh my lord Syd, you sound like an old woman. We’re nineteen, not ninety. You can still go to school and have a life you know. Look at me. Do you see me sweating the small stuff like that? Why the hell you won’t take out a student loan and stop killing yourself is beyond me. The government is practically handing them out like candy so long as you sign up for one of their volunteer programs. Your parents’ income would certainly qualify you for one.” She rolled her eyes and then continued. “If we don’t have fun now we will never have fun. Why everyone has to be so serious all the time I don’t know. Stop being so damned responsible … and boring. It’s not your fault that Kevin chose stupid, got drunk, and wrecked his car.”

Now she was just playing dirty. “Leave my cousin out of this.”

“So you’re saying that your aunt getting divorced after Kevin killed those kids, put his sister in a wheelchair, and then your family moving her and Patrice into your house has nothing to do with all the financial mess you guys are in? Get real. That was your parents’ choice, not yours. You have a right to your own life. For god’s sake girl, move out and escape while you have the chance. You know I will just as soon as I’m able.”

I shook my head and wondered when my best friend had turned into whatever it was she was now. The changes in both of us happened so fast I’m not even sure when they started. Carefully, hoping she would finally get the message, I told her, “This is my life Bel and while I’ll admit it isn’t great all the time it isn’t the horror story you keep trying to make it out to be. Things aren’t perfect but I’ve got it better than a lot of people we graduated with do. A bunch of them had to drop out or not get to go to college at all because of finances and family crap. So what if I have to sleep on the pull out in the basement. It isn’t killing me, at least I have a bed to call my own. And using the basement door means I don’t have to worry about waking people up when I come in late from work. And so what if I have to work, it’s a rent free roof over my head. I take that back … I’m actually glad I have a job where I can get as many hours as I need; a lot of people don’t. What makes me lucky is that the place was down for renovation for the end summer and the owners were just happy that I didn’t leave them to get transferred to a different franchise and that I didn’t mind working odd shifts to help out moving things into storage. They’ve been decent to me when most people our age get crap for jobs … assuming they can find a job. As for the rest of it my parents are good people in a rough spot … we’re just trying to take care of our family by everyone pitching in where they can. If you want to save someone from the life they’re living, go save your sister who has screwed her way through County High’s football team – JV and Varsity – and is now working on all the other teams too … and from what I hear not just the boys.”

In total outrage Belinda snapped, “Jaycee is bisexual and you know it. I can’t believe you of all people would be so judgmental. That’s real Christian right there. The Guidance Counselor and Jaycee’s therapist warned us about people like you and said …”

Stopping her from drawing me into an argument I wasn’t in the mood for I told her, “I’m not talking about her sexual orientation – that’s her business – I’m talking about the rest of it. She is barely sixteen and she acts like a slut and dresses like one too; and if she isn’t careful it is going to get her hurt or dead or maybe worse. I can’t believe your parents even put up with it. How she is acting is dangerous and just nasty.”

“You don’t know what you are talking about. Jaycee is just trying to find herself … exploring her options. Everyone says so.”

“Yeah well she’s looked just about under every bed and in every backseat anyone will let her crawl into. Don’t you think it’s time for you and your parents to kinda … I don’t know … help her or guide her into a search process that is less personally destructive? Your parents would have killed you if they’d known half the stuff you did when we were in high school. Why they let Jaycee get away with stuff ten times as awful is beyond me.”

“She takes special handling and you know why.”

“Because she got molested? Don’t you think that is even more reason to help her find some boundaries? Not to mention those so-called therapists she’s seen have only helped her to get worse. Let’s see … false memories, drugs by the bucket full, validating the princess behavior rather than being honest she’s on track for some serious STDs …”

“That’s cruel, even for you. You … you just don’t get it.”

I shook my head. “Oh I get it all right or don’t you remember that your step brother tried to get me the same way he got to Jaycee? In fact, I’m the one that swung that golf club right up between Darin’s legs when we got to your house to tell on him only found him having at your little sister just to get back at your dad. Your step brother was and is a complete freak and now your dad feels so guilty and messed up for what his spawn did that he can’t find his way through and your mom is so worried about hurting Jaycee more that she’s just making things worse by being ineffectual. And Jaycee knows it and she’s manipulating the hell out of everyone around her to empower herself or something. Only not everyone buys into the guilt trip anymore do they? She’s going too far down the wrong road.”

Belinda shook her head and I couldn’t tell if she hated me for it or wish she’d had the nerve to do it herself. “I still can’t believe you slapped her. It wasn’t her fault that Dan decided to find some comfort with my sister because you are so hooked on your virginal act and refused to put out.”

I was on the ragged edge of blowing up and decided it was time for a few home truths and a few answers. “You know what Belinda? Yeah, I can fault her for it because she was a willing participant. Just as much as I fault Dan if you want to know the truth of it. Dan knew where I drew the line. He chose to cross it. Jaycee knew that Dan and I were in a relationship, she just wanted to hurt me because I refused to say how she’s been acting is justified and all ok. Well it’s not and she got her pound of flesh. But I haven’t taken it out on you and I don’t blame your parents. Jaycee is responsible for her actions… she’s old enough to know it too. So tell me, if you feel like this why did you want to come up to the cabin?”

“I didn’t … uh …”

I was beginning to realize my own suspicions were justified. “You didn’t want to did you. Ooookay. So who asked you to make the sacrifice?”

“I never …”

“Knock it off Bel. You are a rotten liar and always have been. It is the only reason I believed you when you said you didn’t know about Dan and Jaycee even though everyone else thinks that you did. Now I repeat, what’s going on?”

In a rush Belinda confessed, “Jaycee is pregnant … and she is saying it is Dan’s. Dad told me that I had to … be a friend and … and soften the blow and be the one to tell you.”

I just stood there waiting for the pain to hit … but realized I felt nothing. Dan and I had dated for over three years, even talked about getting engaged with my parents’ blessing but then decided to put it off until we were both further along in college. It wasn’t too long after that I found out he was fooling around … and with more than Jaycee though the girl didn’t want to believe it when I told her. Whatever it was he broke in me, he broke it permanently and left nothing to feel behind.

I sighed but then after thinking for a moment there was a huge hole in the story I was being fed. I told Belinda, “This is going to sound really bad and you are going to think I’m lying, I’m being mean on purpose, or both … but I’m really not. First off, Dan is still in a lot of trouble because of the pending statutory rape charges and there is nothing your parents can do to stop it because it is the state that has brought the charges against him. He’s on house arrest and since you probably don’t know he has one of those new implants that monitors his location and sobriety at all times. His house and yard is also being visually monitored 24/7. There is no way that Dan is the father of any baby that she’s pregnant with now. It has been over six months since his arrest and the monitoring started almost immediately.”

“Huh?”

“Yeah. His sister can’t even have her friends over. She tried that once and all of the monitoring systems lit up like the fourth of July. The only reason they didn’t throw him right back in jail is because the cameras caught him screaming at his sister to get the girl away and then he got on the phone and was crying to his parole officer to come save him.”

“No way do you know this for a fact.”

“Yes way. His parents and mine are still … I guess not friends exactly but trying to do the right thing and be civil. It was a Wednesday when it happened and that night Dan’s mom broke down in the ladies’ room at church and my mom … well how do you walk away from someone that messed up, scared, and sad all at the same time? Dan … he … he got hurt pretty bad in jail and is terrified of being sent back. Just like him doing what he did broke something in me, him going to jail broke something in him … only between the two of us I think Dan got it much worse and the shame of it is he did it to himself.”

Shocked Belinda said in disgust, “You have to be the coldest bitch I have ever met. First my sister, now Dan. God, you’re sick.”

I shook my head. “Stop trying to make me feel guilty for something that isn’t my responsibility or problem. That’s called deflecting and you’ve been doing it a lot lately. Too much. You’re going to need a therapist yourself if you keep this up. Tell you what, since you really don’t want to be here why don’t you go ahead and pack and leave. You go back to that life you think is just so bloody ok and I’ll do what I have to do to live mine with a clear conscience.”

“But …”

“No Bel, I’m done. You come up here, use me to have some free fun, and lead me on that you’re here because you want to be my friend.”

Back pedaling as she realizes how everything is making her look she cried, “It isn’t like that.”

“Yeah … yeah it is. You could have told me a couple of days ago instead of me having to force it out of you. And what’s just as sad is that that makes me sadder than the possibility that Dan is the father of Jaycee’s baby. Assuming that she is even pregnant. She’s lied about that before … or wait, she was just a scared little girl and made a mistake. Yeah right … and we both know she knew exactly what she was doing at the time. If she’s pregnant for real this time … the mess is going to be monumental, including the civil case your parents are putting together against Dan.”

“What? How do you know about that?”

Shaking my head at some people’s naiveté I reminded her, “Like I said, these days not everyone thinks Jaycee is a little, broken-winged angel. Yes, she’s messed up but she’s also has some responsibility for the results of the choices she is making now.”

Suddenly changing tacts Belinda snapped, “I don’t have to put up with this. I’m leaving.”

I shrugged. “You were already leaving, or don’t you remember that I’d already decided that for you.”

“You bitch.”

All her snarl got her was another shrug from me. “Maybe, but you’re turning out to be a toxic hot mess and I’ve decided that I’m not going to willingly deal with that particular personality trait anymore. Tell your dad thank you for trying to be nice. I appreciate it. But if I were you I would also tell him to stop trying to clean up Jaycee’s messes … what his son did is not his fault. He’d sent him to live with his mother and her new husband when he refused to get a job when he wouldn’t stay in school. It was Jaycee that was letting him back into the house without your father’s approval or knowledge. Sucks what happened but Darwin Award winners come in all ages.”

“Oh my gawd. You’re worse than a bitch. I hate you.”

Beginning to seriously tire of her judge and jury act I told her, “Get in line. Jaycee has tried to prove how much she hates me on every social media known to man and even tried to get some of her less than intelligent friends to fight me too. Dan sent me a letter telling me how much he hated me … and then apologized and said he’d gotten help and realized he had to take responsibility for things and what happened wasn’t my fault. Not that I needed to hear it from him to know that is the truth but still, it gives me hope that Dan might come out the other side of this disaster a better person. Patrice hates me because she is in a wheelchair and I’m not. There’s probably other people too but I’m not too worried about it right now. Right now you need to leave. You pack and I’ll call your dad and thank him myself for trying to be nice and let him know your job has been accomplished and you are heading home.”

 

[Kathy in FL]

Chapter Two

It took almost an hour to get rid of Belinda … my newest ex-best friend. I wonder what is wrong with me that I can just let people go like that. Maybe there isn’t anything wrong and I’m worrying for nothing. Right now I don’t have time for self-analysis and philosophizing. I’m on a mission and I’ve got a list of things that need doing.

Actually I’ve got a lot of lists. Mom has had her hands full with Aunt Rhonda and Patrice which has left me to help Dad more than they had originally envisioned. I think this whole world-coming-to-an-end thing was supposed to happen when I was little and they haven’t quite known how to incorporate me into their plans now that I’m old enough to seriously contribute to the overall success of what they’ve been doing. It was supposed to be Sam doing it. My older brother … ten years older. Only not anymore. He’ll be the one forever nineteen. I was eight when he joined the Army. I was nine when the guy in the uniform came to the door to inform my family my brother had been killed when the helicopter he’d been in had been sabotaged while on training maneuvers. He’d never even left the country and the enemy had still managed to kill him just as dead as if he had been fighting overseas. It devastated my parents … and me … and for a while we all kind of wondered what the point of anything was. My parents looked at all their plans and for a while they had trouble deciding what they were going to do about them when suddenly a big chunk of their plans had suddenly just disappeared.

To be honest these days I think I’m more serious about all the prepping than Mom. It isn’t that she isn’t serious; more like she only has so much time and energy and has to prioritize most of it in the day to day living and caring for the family. She used to be absolutely certifiable about her “preps” but lately life has taken her time and energy away … stolen it away from her if you look at it a certain way.

Dad had always left the homemaking side of the plans and prepping to Mom while he dealt with “security” and coming up with ways to finance things. It was only after he’d finally gotten around to doing an updated inventory here at the cabin that he’d realized great big freaking holes had been eaten away in their plan. They’ve been rotating food stuff out so it didn’t spoil and go to waste, or taken things as they needed them, but never seem to get around to filling things back in. Equipment had sat on the shelf and not been used regularly and as a result no longer worked well or at all. Paper goods and linens were dry rotting … or in the case of two plastic bins had been gotten into by the flying squirrels that sometimes found their way into the storage shed. That was a fun mess to clean up … and the squirrels weren’t too happy about it either. Squirrels are nothing but flying rodents and flying squirrels are too small to eat and so cute it hurt to “dispose” of them.

The day after he’d inventoried and we’d cleaned up what we could we both had the mullygrubs. Dad and I both have strange sleep habits. His are a remnant of his time in the military and then doing shift work for so many years at the desalination plant. I’m not sure what mine are from except maybe I absorbed his by osmosis or something. Either way we both wound up unable to sleep and by 3:30 in the morning we were both haunting the kitchen. We were at the cabin to try and recharge before Aunt Rhonda and Patrice came out of the hospital after their latest round of surgeries but the last thing we’d been doing was relaxing. We were sitting at the kitchen table trying to decide between an early pot of coffee or a late night saucepan of warm milk. The coffee won and I asked him why he was so twitchy the day before. He’d snapped at me a couple of times for no reason that I could figure out and I was concerned something was going on.

“Sister, you don’t need to worry about anything.”

“Who says I’m worried?” I asked him. “We always make a plan and come out smelling … usually like roses but …”

“You better not finish that,” he said with a half guilty grin. “Your mom won’t be too happy if she finds out.”

“What’s to find out?” I answered with a naughty grin.

He shook his head and we talked of other things – mostly repairs and stuff that are needed at the cabin and at home and where the money and stuff is going to come for it – but eventually it came back around to what he’d tried to avoid and I found out about how “the plan” seemed to be falling apart.

“What can I do to help?”

“Sister now I told you Daddy will take care of things.”

“Yeah I know,” I told him with absolute confidence. “And one of those ways you can take care of things is by delegating. So give. What can I do to do my part? I’ve been listening to you and Mom talk about this stuff almost my whole life … or at least as long as I can remember … and don’t you think it is about time that you let me in on it? If I’m going to share in the benefit I sure should be sharing in the responsibility. I’m not a little kid anymore Daddy.”

I’m hoping I didn’t imagine that I rose a little in his estimation that morning. It felt like I did. He took me seriously in a way he hadn’t before and until they left to return home he showed me all the stuff at the cabin and made sure that I knew how it all worked, where it all was, how to turn it on and off, and a lot of other stuff I could have figured out on my own but was glad that he walked me through so I wouldn’t have to guess. He even had me start a notebook of directions, instructions, notes, and lots of other useful this and that, plus he gave me copies of the cabin and house inventories. The other thing he mentioned that I hadn’t shared with Belinda or anyone else because I still wasn’t sure how I felt about it was that he asked me to think about changing my class load to online courses and living at the cabin this fall and spring.

“Sister, I’m not throwing you out of the house. Don’t think that.”

“I don’t Daddy, don’t worry about that. I never would think it even. But I know it is a real pain the way Patrice acts anytime I am around. And other stuff … um, Dan and things like that.”

“Patrice is a guest in your home. She shouldn’t …” He stopped and shook his head sorrowfully. “As for Dan, the boy has most definitely picked himself a hard row to hoe. It’s Christian duty and that is about all it is that keeps me from …” He growled the only way a real Daddy can growl.

I told him, “Daddy … seriously … I understand. I sometimes don’t want to but most of the time I do. And Aunt Rhonda has her own set of problems and one of them she thinks is partly my fault because I’m the one that ratted Kevin out about his drinking to Uncle Herschel in the first place. I used to tend towards being a tattle tale and we both know it. But Uncle Herschel believed me, and because he did Aunt Rhonda refused to. She let their marital problems get in the way of her being a mom. I know she can’t hear it right now but in my opinion I don’t know if her saying anything would have stopped Kevin. It’s all just a big mess and I’ve made the decision to not take any of it personally and to keep myself to myself from here on out. Maybe some things just do no good to get involved in no matter the best of intentions behind it.” I looked down at my hands and finally told him how I’d decided to look at things. “Dan and Kevin made their choices. Aunt Rhonda is just in a really bad place right now … the divorce, Kevin, Patrice, and her fibroids being more than just fibroids. Patrice is about the only really innocent person in this whole mess and she still has to live with and accept that she made the choice to get in that car with her brother even though she knew he had been drinking. I just don’t feel …” Now it was my place to shake my head. “Do you remember what the sermon was that Sunday right after Dan … Dan was arrested?”

“No Sister, can’t say that I do. We went to church because it was where we needed to be but I’m not ashamed to say we were all in shock and nothing particular sticks in my memory of what was said that day.”

“Well I do. It was the story of Job. And a lot of people kept looking over at us. Some of them were sympathetic but I saw a lot of people … some that I thought were my friends … wondering how I couldn’t have known; some of them with guilty looks on their faces like they had known and not said anything. I was getting so angry … not at Dan as I’d already been there and done that and … and shelved it for lack of a better word. Nor at Jaycee – at least that moment - even though I knew how big a hot mess she is and how she likely wasn’t completely innocent though her folks were trying to make it out that way. I was angry at all those staring eyes. Then the preacher got to the part of the story where God tells Job he wasn’t going to get any of his life back – not his old life but a new life – until he forgave those people that had been so mean to him. God told Job – maybe not in so many words but in a way he understood – that he was forgiving those people not for their sake but for his own and because God forgave him. And if Job didn’t forgive then Job wouldn’t be forgiven the bad things he’d done in life, even if the bad things were out of good intentions or fear or whatever. That poked a hole right through me. I didn’t want to forgive everyone I was angry with but after a while I finally realized it would be the only way to lay the luggage down that I was packing with more and more crap and carrying around with me everywhere I went.”

“Aw Baby Girl …”

“Daddy, I still have bad days but not nearly as bad as people seem to expect or maybe even want me to have. Maybe … maybe that is what Mom is not quite understanding about the way I’m acting. I don’t want her to think that I don’t have feelings or that I’m bottling them up. I’m just trying to keep things in perspective and let God take care of all the … the rest of it.”

“Let me talk to her Sister. She has been worried about it. But now that you’ve explained it … well not to put too fine a point on it I think I need to pull out my own copy of the story of Job and sit down and give it another read.”

We hugged and I feel closer to Daddy than I have in a long time and it’s a good feeling. I admit I had been feeling lonely and a little shunted to the side as my parents dealt with trying to keep the family together, healthy, and afloat. But I also realized while my parents might have a little trouble with me growing up they also needed me to grow up; they couldn’t do everything themselves. At my age they shouldn’t have to. And I have no business developing any resentment because it is time for my childhood to be over with and to take on adult responsibilities; not just for myself but as a member of my family.

Which is about the time I remembered that I was wasting time reminiscing and needed to deal with the tasks my parents had set for me. I needed to call my old bosses and turn in my notice because commuting was out of the question. I’d miss the job – and the income – but changes were coming and it looked like that was going to be one of them. And I needed to see if there was a job – any job including community poop scooper – that I could find to keep bringing in enough money that I could save up for my next semester’s tuition and books.

 

[Siskiyoumom]

Awesome!

 

[Kathy in FL]

Chapter Three

I tapped the shoulder of a boy that must have been about ten or twelve and said, “Excuse me, I’m looking for Mr. Slowthower.”

He jumped and ripped the earbuds out of his ears. “Yeah. What do you want?”

I blinked as he pointed to his name tag and then asked, “An older Mr. Slowthower?”

He looked over his shoulder and then bellowed in a voice that was way too big for his frame, “Junior!! There’s a chick out here to see you!”

I heard a sigh mixed with a growl and a guy came around the corner snapping, “Listen you little … I don’t have time for …” He skidded to a stop when he saw me. “Oh … uh …”

Feeling some unwilling sympathy for the guy I said, “Ricky Slowthower or am I looking for another one?”

The boy said, “Call him Junior. The rest of us do.”

“I suspect you do it just to hack him off too,” I told the boy who suddenly tried to look a lot more innocent than he obviously was. I looked at the guy who was about my age and said, “Mrs. June from down at the Quilting Shoppe said you take consignments.”

“We do. But they have to meet my grandmother’s standards and they are pretty high.”

“May I speak to her?”

“She isn’t here. She’s laid up with a turned ankle. You’ll have to come back some other time.”

“That’s not what Mrs. June said.”

“Yeah … wellllll …”

“Deep subject. Look, I’m not talking about junk. You see what I’m wearing?”

“Yeah.”

“I made this … or should I say I made it over. Your shop is called Trash to Treasure. Well, I make over old clothes. I don’t charge an arm and leg for them either but I won’t give them away if you’re going to charge an arm and a leg. But, I don’t expect you not to make a decent profit either.”

He was walking around me like I was a car he was thinking of buying. “You did this?”

“Yeap. It started as a hobby in middle school and has grown like Topsy ever since.”

“What’s that mean?”

“Heck if I know, just something my father says and seems to suit this situation. So are you considering or am I wasting my time?”

“I’m considering. Let me get my girlfriend. This looks like something her and her friends will wear but let me check before I put my foot in it.” He texted something on his cellphone and not a minute later this girl in a barely there tank top sauntered in. “Geez Pattie, put a shirt on will ya?”

“Like what you see?”

“Yeah and I don’t want anyone else seeing it.”

“But you’ve got her in here.”

“Who’s her? Oh you mean her her. She’s just looking to place some things in consignment and I want your opinion on ‘em. You know what the customers like, you think they’d go for stuff like she’s wearing?”

She turned to me and really looked for the first time and then I saw a spark of interest. “Your mom or something make these?”

“No,” I told her to be polite since apparently her opinion mattered. “I did. Mr. Slowthower thought you’d be able to tell him whether customers would go for it. If they won’t maybe you could tell me what they will go for.”

She chewed her bottom lip for a minute caught between left over jealousy – of what I had no idea – and her ego at being asked her opinion. “Well, I won’t lie. I know a lot of girls around here would think that’s cute but there ain’t a lot of local money right now as things are tight. And most of the tourists are either those crazy health and nature nuts that hike the local trails or raft the Chattooga. Those that aren’t are usually older or kinda stick in the mud family types that go more for cheap t-shirts or shot glasses or spoons.” She tapped her chin then looked at Junior/Ricky. “You know who might go for this stuff are those auction people we get through here once a month when Moose Harper’s dad has the warehouse gigs.”

A gravelly voice from behind us said, “Gran used to pay Mr. Harper a fee to let her set up a booth every time he had an auction scheduled.”

Ricky glowered at the new comer and asked, “Zane! What are you doing here? Who’s looking after Gran?”

“Relax little brother, Aunt Nina showed up in full sail and insisted on taking Gran out to have her hair and nails done while I was to head to the store and pick up some nibbles.”

Ricky rolled his eyes. “Oh my Lord, tonight’s game night isn’t it?”

The newcomer grinned, “Yep. And you get to ‘fotch and carry’ for all the nice old ladies.”

In disgust Ricky snapped, “No wonder you were laughing at me this morning.”

“Not laughing Junior, just … just enjoying the moment for a change.” The guy stepped out of the shadows and I realized he walked with a strange roll to his gate. I didn’t get a chance to notice anything else because he looked me over and said, “I know you from someplace. You own one of the vacation cabins around here?”

I shrugged. “It’s been in the family for a couple of generations but yeah, I guess I qualify except it’s my parents who own it. I’m going to be living there as the caretaker for a while.”

“Which place?”

“Why?” I asked showing my cautious streak.

Instead of being offended his face suddenly cleared and he said, “You’re Mr. Z’s daughter. He always kept you on a tight leash.”

Ricky and Pattie said, “Who?”

I grinned and said, “Zitterbarth. Don’t bother trying to say it, your tongue will just get tied up. Call me Syd … short for Sydney. It’ll be easier on all of us.”

Before anyone could say anything else the bell over the door rang and in came Mrs. June from the Quilt Shoppe. “Oh good, you’re still here. I thought that was your car. I was wondering if you had taken my advice and come see if they’d be interested. Ricky, now I know you’re cautious and with reason but three ladies stopped to enquire about that outfit she’s wearing and she was only in the shop long enough to order some muslin and empty my clearance bin.” She turned to me with a wink and said, “Got a lead for you if you’re interested Honey; don’t know why I didn’t think about it while you were in the store except that bus from the retirement community over in Littleton had just pulled in. There’s a thrift store heading back towards the lake that is going out of business. Given your haggling skills I bet you’d make out well as I know they’ve only got till tomorrow at noon to clear things out before the bank’s people comes in and takes the rest.”

I took out my notepad and had her give me the directions, vaguely recalling the sad strip of stores that I thought had been closed since several had been boarded over. It sat back from the highway on a steep bank that wouldn’t be easy to drive in anything less than a four-wheel drive. I turned to the others in the store and told them, “Well, I’ll give you time to think it over. I’ve got a cooler of groceries calling my name. It’s been nice to meet you. I’ll …”

Ricky interrupted with, “You got anything else besides what you’re wearing?”

I stopped and eyed his interest but had to admit, “Not with me. You only want clothes or crafty kind of stuff too?”

“Bring a sampling next time you’re in town. I’ll look things over and we’ll see if we can’t come to a meeting of the minds.”

“I’ll be in town on Friday. I’ll stop by then if you’re not busy.”

The youngest Slowthower snorted and said, “We’re never busy.”

I shook my head and left with a grin after Junior Slowthower decided that if his little brother Max didn’t feel busy that he’d rectify that problem.

 

[Kathy in FL]

Chapter Four

I had my keys out when Zane Slowthower walked over and said like it cost him a pound of flesh, “I’m … I’m looking for work. You … got anything you need doing?”

It was a question I hadn’t expected and it must have showed on my face because he turned with a jerk and said, “Uh, never mind. I …”

“Wait. Look, I’m coming into town on Friday to meet my dad. He’s supposed to be here by noon so we can go over to the bank and open an account. They wouldn’t let me open one by myself for some reason.”

“How old are you?”

“Old enough that I’m legal to sign a contract if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“But not twenty-one if I had to hazard a guess.” I just looked at him and let him know in the nicest way possible that one way or the other it was none of his business. He grinned anyway and said, “Harmon Bank is small, private … and small and private … and on top of that private and small. They don’t cash out of town checks and you have to have ten different proof of IDs before they will even accept a money transfer for you. Don’t’ take it personally, anyone under twenty-one is required to have a second name on the account, preferably a parent or some other related and highly responsible adult.”

“Uh huh, so my impression of the Bank Manager was on the money.”

“Stiff necked, old money, and suspicious of anyone under the age of fifty?”

“Yep.”

“That would be Mr. Tennyson. He claims to be some kind of kin to some world famous poet … some Lord or other … and loves for people to ask if he is.”

“Do tell.”

He grinned. “Just tell him who you are. Your family has been around here a long time even if it is just as a vacation family these days.”

“I did. He allowed as how then it might be alright assuming my father was willing to vouch for me.”

Zane shook his head. “Small towns are like that.”

“You’re local … but … not.”

“I was out for a while, came back. It gives you a different perspective.”

“Military?”

His face closed off. I told him, “It isn’t the limp … well yeah it is. It’s just … when you grinned just now I think I remember that you have an older brother too don’t you. He would be about the age my brother would have been if he’d lived.”

“Wait … Sam’s dead? When? I knew I hadn’t seen him around but … but I just thought …”

It didn’t hurt like it used to but I still didn’t talk about it too much. “Yeah. We just put a ten-year anniversary wreath on his stone at the cemetery. He was one of the ones killed at Ft. Campbell when those terrorists infiltrated the base.”

“God,” he said in a horse whisper. “I …”

“Don’t. I didn’t tell you to upset you. I just remembered who you were all of a sudden. I don’t think I ever knew your last name and if I did I’ve forgotten it. Sam and I never exactly had the same set of friends.”

“Sam. My God. Your … your parents …”

“Yep. Pretty much. Which is why they always kept me so close when all you backwoods boys were around. They weren’t being standoffish or snobby … just … protective. I just wanted you to understand.”

He was silent for a moment. “Josh … he still talks about your brother every once in a while.”

“So he’s around?”

“Yeah.”

“Let me guess. Running tourists down the river.”

“Right on the first try.”

I smiled kinda sad. “I haven’t been rafting since Sam took me the last time.”

“Why?”

I shrugged. “Don’t know exactly. Just seemed … safer I guess to stick to the lake. Besides, I’m not sure Dad would have even let me go had I brought it up.”

“I find it hard to believe he’s letting you stay up here by yourself.”

“Well, I’m not the child I was. Certainly he’d never let me stay up here if he wasn’t sure I could take care of myself.”

“And that’s the message you want to get around is it?”

I half grinned at how well he understood. “Yep. I’d rather educate with a message than for me to have to prove it and someone wind up … educated … more forcefully. ‘Cause you know, sometimes lessons in life hurt.”

He grinned, then chuckled, then outright laughed. “Girl, they ain’t gonna know what to make of you.”

“I’m not looking for attention, not really in the mood for any … at least not right now. I just want people to stay out of my business so I can stay out of theirs.”

“Your dad really have you staying up here?”

“He really does. Like I said … Friday about noon. Let me give him a call and if you are so inclined I do believe we will be having a bologna sandwich and a frosty freeze at the Bait n’ Tackle before we head over to the bank. Consider this an invitation if you are so inclined.”

He gave me a considering look like it was actually him that didn’t know what to make of me and then said, “Let me check my calendar and I’ll get back with you on that.”

I nodded then got in my car and headed out of town having accomplished only about half of what I had meant to. But then again I might just have accomplished one of the biggest things on my to do list. It all depended on Daddy.

 

[Kathy in FL]

Chapter Five

“Sydney Marguerite Zitterbarth.”

“Daddy, please don’t growl over the phone. You know it makes too much static for me to understand half of what you are saying.”

He snorted and I realized he was being gruff because he thought it appropriate rather than because he was truly upset with me. “I remember the Slowthower boys. You telling me there’s another one?”

“Yes Sir. Young, ten … maybe twelve at the most as it is hard to tell with boys that age. He’s bird chested and big mouthed.”

“Yep, sounds like a Slowthower at that age. Zane was the only one built different. He took after his mother where the others took after their father. I’ll have to ask your mother if she knows that Mrs. Slowthower owned that whatchamacallit place … Trash to Treasure. Junk shop is all I remember it being.”

“Me too but it doesn’t look like that now.”

“And you say Junior is the one running it? The boy always was looking for ways to make a buck. To be honest of them all I would have thought he’d been the one to get out and go to college.”

“He might yet. I couldn’t tell if it was finances or inclination keeping him around. I’ll try and find out if you want me to.”

“Maybe but it’s not a priority at the moment. Right now I’m more interested why you got so comfortable with Zane so quick.”

I thought for a moment then had to say in all honesty, “He … he reminds me a little of Sam. I don’t know why. It’s not the limp or the fact he did a good job of turning the conversation away from his military service. Daddy, he was honestly shocked to have heard … about Sam I mean … and to find out it had happened so long ago seemed to upset him even more.”

“PTSD?”

“I don’t think so. Mostly I think … well … I think he might … oh it’s just too weird.”

“Honey, if you have thoughts on this I need to hear them.”

“OK, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. It kinda sounds silly even to me. It’s just one of those stupid feelings I get about people. You know?”

“Oh. One of ‘those’ feelings huh? Well, better spit it out. My grandmother was the same way and she was right every time I heard about it.”

“Yeah, just too bad we can never read our own future isn’t it. I’d known Dan was …”

“Sydney,” he said in a voice that broke me from going down the road of feeling sorry for myself.

“Yeah. Anyway. About Zane. It was after he’d pulled up the nerve to ask me for work. I guess things are pretty bad if he’d hit someone like me up for work.”

“Not necessarily. Zane and Josh did some work for me every once in a while; just usually when you and your momma weren’t around.”

“Uh huh,” I said knowingly.

“Hush up and get to your ‘feeling’ already.”

I grinned even though he couldn’t see it. Even being aggravatingly over protective Dad had the ability to make me smile when I didn’t want to. “Daddy, I think whatever happened to Zane drove him back home. I think somehow or other he has enshrined his boyhood and it’s … it’s like … a safety net or a good luck stone. He gets to feeling bad he just pays attention to the memories all around him and poof bad feelings and bad thoughts diverted. I think him finding out about Sam … shook … shook those memories up. I’m not sure he’ll even show up on Friday.”

“But he’s the one you think will be good.”

“Well, I don’t know for sure. We still need to know what he can and can’t do as far as repairs and stuff.”

“If he’s anything like his father’s people he’ll have more than enough skill to pull it off. Just let me size him up before I make that decision.”

“Yes sir.”

“Good. Now about what you haven’t said happen.”

“Huh?”

“Belinda drove home lickety split I guess. Ken was waiting for me out in the plant parking lot.”

“Oh,” I said. “How upset was he that I told Belinda to leave.”

“None. He told me what Jaycee is saying and wanted to know how much of what you said was the truth. I told him since I didn’t’ know what was said I couldn’t say with absolute certainty but I was sure that you wouldn’t lie to upset Belinda or hurt Jaycee. And I told him why didn’t he just ask himself and we’d hash it out.” Dad gave a deeply troubled sigh. “Jaycee is definitely lying but I don’t know for what purpose. Seems their lawyer for their civil case pretty much told him the same thing up to and including that if they tried to attach what was so obviously a lie to the case that he’d drop them as clients and in fact is still deliberating whether to continue as it is. Apparently there are a lot of things that will come out in any civil trial that would not put their family in general and Jaycee in particular in a good light.”

“Jaycee is messed up Daddy. I don’t think it was her fault in the beginning but the choices she has made the last few years … those I think she is accountable for.”

“Honey, I tend to agree with you though your momma leans towards Jaycee being so mentally ill at this point that self-control might be impossible for the girl.”

“She obviously still knows right from wrong or she wouldn’t get the jollies out of hurting people the way she does.” I took in a deep breath and let it out. “Daddy, if Mr. Ken isn’t mad and you aren’t mad …”

“No Honey, we’re not mad. I am concerned that this has brought all that nonsense back up for you.”

“It is what it is. I’ll miss Belinda as a friend – I’ve known her like forever – but we’re going in different directions and right now I can’t be the kind of friend she needs. I know I can’t make things better for her and I’m afraid if we don’t take a break I might wind up saying something that makes things worse for us both.”

“You want to hear something Baby Girl? One of the reasons I want you to spend some time away from things is because you need the break. You’ve done nothing but face this head on since it started and taken a lot of abuse you didn’t need to and been misunderstood. I want you out of target range if things start to turn nasty as they have the potential to get again.”

“Oh Daddy.”

“Don’t oh Daddy me. Now let’s hear about what you managed to get done on that list today.”

Knowing that the subject was closed for now I reported my successes … and my failures. “Hit three different big box stores, something I wouldn’t have been able to do with Belinda along. She would have asked why too much and drawn the curious. But I want you to know we are stocked for toilet paper and biodegradable diaper wipes until Gabriel blows his trumpet.”

“Sydney.”

“Oh honestly Daddy, it was a joke.”

“Some things are not to be joked about.”

“Yes Sir. I’m sorry.” Daddy can be sensitive if he feels somehow someone in the family was blaspheming. “Seriously though I was able to get all the paper products on the list back up to Mom’s original figures though if I can squeeze the budget I’m going to add even more. A roll of toilet paper just ain’t what it used to be. No wonder Mom goes on a tear every time she goes to the store.”

“And what else?”

“I got all the lawn care stuff too. You were right, some of it is starting to go on end of season clearance. What I wasn’t able to do was get all the propane tanks filled. The Bait ‘n Tackle is rationing – claims it is some new state regulation – and it felt like maybe that really wasn’t what was going on. I wasn’t the only one asking what new regulation. I was only able to get half the kerosene for the same reason and what I did get cost more than what I had thought it would.”

“Hmph. Not good Sister. I’ll see what I can pick up and bring with me Friday and you don’t let a tank get below three-quarters before you fill it back up. When I come I’m also going to bring stuff your mother wants stored and all your stuff you haven’t already moved. This will give us more room to get Rhonda’s stuff out of storage and drop that bill. I was gonna bring some good news too but I guess I’ll deliver it now. Your Uncle Herschel stopped by last night. Brought Rhonda flowers and some of those medicated lozenges that helped during her first round of chemo.”

“Wow.”

“You betcha that’s worth a wow. And so’s the rest of it. Seems he feels that even if Rhonda can’t handle him being around all the time; that he still has a responsibility to her and Patrice. Even if Rhonda divorced him apparently he didn’t divorce her, or so he says. Gotta admit, the difference in Patrice while he was here was night and day.”

“Well a girl needs her daddy.”

He chuckled, “You trying to snow your ol’ man Baby Girl?”

“Nope. Stating a fact. What I’m wondering though is how is this going to affect our plans.”

He sighed and could hear how tired he was. “Not going to yet, at least not on your end. On my end however it looks like the basement pull out is gonna be in use with or without Rhonda’s full approval. She’s your momma’s sister but Herschel is my brother and he’s had his hours cut in half just about like I have. He picked up a security job at the mall that replaces his regular pay from the restaurant but not the over time he’d get a couple times a month.”

“Ohhhh … moldy cheese on stale crackers. Did they lose the house on top of everything else?”

“No. Hershel is slick. He refinanced it and then completed a sale that week you left for the cabin. He’s just been renting it back from the new owners until they were ready to move in. Those vultures at the insurance company found out about it and they tried to attach the money from the sale but the judge took one look at their previous agreement for payment concerning Patrice’s deductible and made the insurance pay all the court costs and told them if they tried something that slick again he’d forfeit the remainder of what they were due as a penalty.”

“Score one for the team.”

“You got that right Baby Girl. But here’s the thing, your aunt and uncle had intended on setting most of that money into a trust for Patrice to keep it out of the hands of the parents of those kids. Only good thing I can say is that Kevin had been living on his own and paying his own bills for a while which would make it highly unlikely some judge will agree to include his family in a lawsuit settlement. But Herschel’s legal and financial consultant is now recommending something different so things are in flux.”

“Those ‘kids’ in the other car were older than me and drunk too. Kevin acted criminally stupid but he wasn’t the only one at fault. No one wants to talk about that though. It could have easily been the other way around from how it ended up. It almost was.”

“You know it. I know it. The cops know it. All the insurance companies involved know it. Even the parents of the others involved in the accident know it. But when you are grieving, knowing something isn’t always enough, and that’s where those parents are.”

He fell silent and it made me wonder if I knew everything there was to know about the months following my brother’s death.

“Baby Girl? Daddy’s tired. Mind if we catch up on them lists another time?”

“Of course not. I’ll send them in an email for you to look over.”

“No. Don’t do that. And don’t send ‘em by text either. Let’s just keep this between us for now and away from potentially prying eyes.”

I got the unspoken message and said, “Yes Sir.”

After that he handed the phone off to Mom and I spoke of generic things and asked how she was doing with both Aunt Rhonda and Patrice to take care of.

“They’re no more work than the in-home patients I use to have and less work than when I was pulling shifts at the hospital. Now I want to hear how you’re doing and did I hear your dad mention the Slowthowers?”

So I went over it again, leaving out my “feelings” since Mom has always been uncomfortably cynical about such things. She did seem interested in my consignment idea and said she’d send some boxes of notions and stuff she’d recently picked up yard saling. “And Sydney, you might want to check out the auction house. They’re getting a few good ones going around here. Just don’t get silly during the bidding process. Go early, look around, use your phone to check current prices, and set a limit on what you’re willing to bid.”

“Yes ma’am,” I responded. Mom’s practical side was a good foil for Daddy’s emotional side.

I said my good byes and looked at the mess I still had to put away. Oh well, I was feeling another stretch of insomnia coming on anyway. Might as well do something constructive instead of lying in bed cussing the sheep that wouldn’t give me a hand going to sleep.

 

[Kathy in FL]

Chapter Six

“S’cuse me,” I said politely to the woman with six complaining kids who’d just nearly run me down with her grocery cart piled high with junk food and frozen dinners. I won’t repeat what she said back. Nor what the other woman and man she ran into said. But that wasn’t the only foul language and complaining I heard. All over the Super Store there were exclamations, muttering, cursing, and complaining to store employees. Those of us not complaining were silent, purposeful, with the goal to get in and out as quickly as possible. We might wince at a price or feel irritation at an empty gap on a shelf where the item we wanted was supposed to be but we stayed to ourselves, avoiding even eye contact with our fellow customers if at all possible.

The economy had been heading this way for a while but the last six months, since the reality of the dismal holiday shopping season had been realized, things had been heading downhill at a much quicker pace; not just the economy but people’s attitudes right along with it. The same could be said of most countries around the world if all the mess on the news could be trusted to be even half way truthful.

My conclusion after today? Restocking our preps is going to be a real serious challenge. Today has been rotten though a few bright spots here and there. I started my day by packing a cooler of drinks and snack type foods, sticking it in the floor board of my truck, making sure the locking panels across the bed and liner were secure and then driving SW to the outskirts of Atlanta. I had already mapped my return route and every potential stop. My plan was to kick out what shopping I could in one, long day.

I’d gotten the bulky paper goods purchases out of the way already so I knew there’d be more room to use. In order to not bring notice to myself I was going to buy only a half a buggy to a buggy full at a bunch of different stores, put them in the truck cab, drive a ways, then stop and move the bags to the clothes baskets and coolers in the truck bed, effectively concealed by the bed liner panels. I’d made almost a dozen stops by lunch time, paying cash each time and using self-checkout lanes when they were available. I entered each store with a list on my phone and coupons in hand. I looked on line at store circulars last night but the first thing I did was wipe down the buggy with a disinfectant wipe then grab a paper circular or look at the specials posted at the front entrance. I also asked where the clearance section was located. The clearance section varied store by store but I could usually find something worth my time and money even if it was just a bag of out-of-season candy.

I managed to find a lot of close out items in the ethnic section of most grocery areas. Many stores were no longer catering to special populations, choosing instead to be as generic as possible. Kosher and Halal were included in the close out items despite both having been wildly popular up to a couple of months ago.

My two primary interests of the day were grains and cereals, and beans and legumes. I bought other things of course but mostly to prevent weird questions. I came home with at least 100 pounds of every type of dried bean and legume I found. Mom wants more than that but it was a good start. I also bought a bunch of canned beans too. When I found a sale on soups, or could use my coupons, I stocked up on them too. Those “cream of” soups are dead useful. Plus, when there’s only me I tend to eat soup a lot.

I’ve got enough rice to feed a whole Chinese province twice over and enough pasta to make Chef Boyardee jealous because we already had some – that stuff never goes bad as long as you can keep the weevils out of it – and added to it by at least one large bag at every store. Baking mixes, flour, cornmeal, ramen noodles, rice-a-roni, grits, and oatmeal all jumped into the buggy thanks to my internet couponing or if I could find them on a good sale, preferably BOGO.

I picked up canned meat when I could but it was expensive even on sale. I waited until I was closer to the cabin before I started picking up fresh items. Fresh fruits, veggies, and meat were all getting outrageous. Dad and Uncle Herschel are splitting the cost of a whole butchered cow and Mom and Aunt Rhonda (when she was up to it) will can it up out of the freezer as there is time. I was going to be responsible for raising chickens for meat and eggs, no hardship as I’d already done it at home until the county changed their codes and I’d had to cull my whole flock back in the spring. Luckily the few chicks I’d had still too young to butcher were accepted at a petting zoo. I had no illusions however that they too wouldn’t eventually be a meal for someone or something but then again that was just life.

Coupons also made both cleaning and hygiene products take a ride in my buggy but I also got the generic fixings for mom’s recipes for homemade cleaners: vinegar, lemon juice, salt, ammonia, rubbing alcohol, washing soda, borax, etc.

By 4:30 I was stressed, hungry, and running out of space and cash. Adding up my receipts was a stroke inducing experience. I decided to call it a day after one more stop. I pulled into a strip center with a couple of stores that had “Going Out of Business, Everything Must Go!” signs on them. One was a thrift store and I needed some new winter clothes to fit my new, broader backside that had decided to become proportional to the top side I had developed in middle school. My shadow no longer resembled a lopsided mushroom, but I knew I’d have to be careful or I would go from top heavy to wide load in the seat with depressing speed.

The thrift store was great. I found everything I needed and more plus some antique kitchen gadgets that just needed some elbow grease to make useful. I also found a couple of industrial metal shelves in the back that would work great in the cellar after I took a wire brush to the rust and then repainted them. I had help at the store getting the stuff tied down to the truck. I was on my own once I got to the cabin however and fell on my butt more than once jumping back too fast to avoid an avalanche of pieces.

I am looking at three AM again before I can hit the hay but I’m not worried because tomorrow it is supposed to rain all day. I figure I’ll sleep in and then get started making soups from the meats and fresh stuff I bought and canning it up in pints and quarts. Thank goodness I grew up doing this on the cranky propane and wood stoves almost every summer vacation or I would be looking at a serious learning curve.

 

[Kathy in FL]

Chapter Seven

I didn’t get as much canning done today as planned. Propane delivery is on a waiting list and our cabin is two weeks out. And apparently when the gas company got our order – several times more than we normally order – they called the sheriff’s department who paid me a visit.

I was two hours and a lot of frustration trying to get them gone and prove I had every right to be there. It took me calling Mom (Dad was at work) to dredge up the name of a retired cop that Daddy goes fishing with a couple of times a year … a man I’d always just known as “Uncle Red” … before they looked even halfway inclined to believe me.

Tires on the gravel drive had me more relieved than I’m comfortable admitting. “Uncle Red!”

“Hey Girly Girl. Got an SOS from your momma. What’s up?”

“Did Daddy happen to mention that he was installing me up here as a year-round caretaker?”

“As a matter of fact he did. I’m gonna see him on Friday after you go a few rounds with Mr. Tennyson.”

I chuckled as he’d meant me to and then he turned and had a discussion with the two gung-ho hot dogs that had been two seconds away from putting me in cuffs on suspicion of trying to create fraud by adverse possession or some such stupidity as that. After they left Red turned to me and said, “I doubt you’ll have any more trouble. However, I’d avoid having any wild parties or company in large numbers.”

I snorted. “If I was to do something like that it wouldn’t be the police I’d need to worry about. Daddy would be the one looking me up.”

Red laughed then left rather than stay for the lunch I offered to fix him. “Gotta run Girly as rain or not I have a honey-do as long as my leg. But I’ll see you on Friday. Your ol’ man and I have some business to attend to.”

After Deputies Abbott and Costello left, I tried to can yet again but only got one canner full finished because I ran out of dry wood to burn in the stove. To my disgust I found the wood shed roof was more sieve than solid. Then the internet provider that was supposed to come install a new and faster satellite connection called to say their driver was lost.

I asked Customer Service, “Don’t you people use GPS these days? You are techies. How’s he going to set up my service if he can’t even follow a map?”

Two hours later the tech arrives and I notice BBQ stains on his shirt that look suspiciously like the ones I see every time my family eats at the Lake House Lodge. This time of year they have a killer lunch buffet that takes a minimum of two hours to wade through. I’d been had. However, I didn’t say anything until after he was finished with the install and set up.

“I’d wash them BBQ stains off the shirt before you go back to your office. And I sure I’m not going to be charged extra for your trip down to the Lake House Lodge. Right?”

After letting him know my mom didn’t raise no fool, he exited the driveway like Mario Andretti. Just to be on the safe side I called the cable company, thanked them, and added it was a shame that Mr. Smith had had to rush his mid-day meal on my account. They asked for the tech’s name and the work order number on the paper he’d left me. Maybe it was a snarky thing to do, but so is billing for hours you don’t work.

The remainder of the day went a little smoother. I did a little cleaning so that Dad could report to Mom that I wasn’t slacking off in the housekeeping department and then started going through the recipe book Mom and I had started when I was a Daisy girl scout.

I need a menu so I don’t fall back on the nuke-able meals and junk food for my three squares a day. I also need an efficient plan so I can get all the canning done that Mom expects me to do. Between that, fixing up the cabin, trying to earn some money doing consignment pieces, taking care of chickens, plus school when it starts in two weeks, I’m honestly not sure how I’m going to get it all accomplished.

I suppose I can only do what I can do but tomorrow I am going to sit down and prioritize the general list of repairs Dad and I made. First, second, and third in whatever order I can get them is the wood shed roof, the chicken run, and refurbishing the stairs down into the basement and old root cellar. I really hope Zane Slowthower passes muster with Dad. It will be cool beans to get started on everything sooner rather than later.

Dinner tonight is also going to be breakfast in the morning; I made Portobello sausage using some mushrooms I picked up on my next to last stop.

To make the sausage you take twelve ounces of Portobello mushrooms and cut them into chunks. Take those chunks, ½ cup chopped onion, 2 chopped cloves of garlic, and a tablespoon of olive oil and toss the mess together until everything is coated in oil. Throw it into a baking dish and roast everything for about 8 to 10 minutes. Then you take the roasted mushroom mess, including the juices, into a food processor and add one can of drained and rinsed black beans, ¼ cup of chopped fresh parsley, one teaspoon of kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, and one tablespoon of lemon juice. Process all of that until you have a chunky gunk.

Dump the chunky gunk into a bowl and add ½ cup of bread crumbs and two tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese. With wet hands, shape a half cup of the mixture into patties about ½-inch thick. Freeze the patties you don’t use immediately. For the patties you do want, fry them over medium heat until crisp and heated through, about five minutes per side. Best way I’ve found to eat them is with salsa and sour cream.

Mom has passed a lot of these “fake meat” recipes to me. Another, similar sausage that Mom makes is Apple Tofu Sausage. She also makes killer bean burgers, meatless meatballs, and this totally unbelievable fake meatloaf. The strange thing is you would think those recipes came from all the latest vegetarian and vegan diet crazes but most of them are from my grandmother’s and great grandmother’s files of Depression Era recipes.

I’ve grown up with Mom using those recipes to stretch the household budget without leaving any of us feeling deprived. Mom said that we lived like we were poor so that we didn’t wind up really being poor. Dad would then counter with, “Margie, the way you cook and take care of us a sane man would never feel poor.” Mom would blush with pleasure at Dad recognizing all of her hard work and Dad would smile real big and make her blush even more.

“Oh stop it,” she’d say. “The plain fact of the matter is it is good for the bottom line and the waist line.” Dad would wink and say, “Well I definitely like your bottom-line woman.” Mom would giggle and roll her eyes and I would suddenly feel the need to be any place else. Geez. Parental units.

I used to imagine that Dan and I would have the same kind of thing eventually. I really loved him; the real forever love, not just kid mush or lust. For a while there after it all fell apart I honestly felt like dying. I still don’t understand how I could have been so wrong about someone. It makes me leery of being able to trust anyone … myself most of all. This thing … the feeling … about Zane Slowthower is the first time in over six months that I’m positive I’m right about someone but there again I’m glad Dad has the final say.

 

[Kathy in FL]

Chapter Eight

“Daddy!”

“Baby Girl!” he said right back as I ran into his arms. “Oh I’ve missed you!”

Hugging him tightly I said, “I’ve missed you too. And if I ever complain about how you and Mom were always riding me to practice being a responsible adult please kick me in the back end.”

“Oh really?” he said with a laugh.

“Yes Sir. This is hard work; I coulda used lots more practice. On top of everything else people are just crazy. How on earth do you and Mom deal with it? I’m surprised anyone ever leaves home.”

With a knowing grin, and a wink, he told me, “Honey, sometimes the best way is to just jump right on in. Why do you think Momma birds sometimes have to … er … help their chicks along?”

I laughed knowing Daddy was just yanking my chain a little and we smiled our way into the Bait ‘n Tackle to order our lunch. The place was owned by the same family that had owned it for about fifteen years and they recognized us. We were heading out to sit at the overflow picnic tables to take advantage of the nice weather when Daddy said, “Somebody is eyeing us from the other side of the building. Long, tall drink with a limp.”

“Oh brother. I’ll go get him.”

“No Sister. Let the boy make the first move.”

“He’s not really a boy though. Wasn’t he and Josh Sam’s age?”

“Josh was. Zane … hmmmmm … about Patrice’s age as I recall.”

“So about twenty-two?”

“More like 23 or 24 by now best I can recall. Now eat. He’ll find the courage or he won’t.”

Not two minutes later Zane casually strolls up and says, “I hadn’t meant to interrupt your meal but …” His cell phone went off.

I could see his jaw work and as I glanced at his phone it had an unflattering picture of his younger brother Junior on the screen. I smiled and asked, “He doggin’ you?”

Realizing he had a sympathetic ear he relaxed a little and said, “A bit. Actually he said he talked to Gran and they’ll take the consignment.”

I looked at Daddy and grinned before plucking the once more buzzing phone out of his hand and answered it. “My goodness you’re insistent. I suppose time is money. Zane and my dad are talking business. As soon as they get that squared away I’m sure Zane will take the box we talked … oh … you’d like me to come in? I’ll be happy to. Just as soon as Mr. Tennyson turns me loose. Of course. See you then. Bye now.”

I handed the phone back to Zane who just stood there shaking his head and told him, “Junior said he’s sorry, that you should have said it was business and would you please remind me not to forget to stop by the store before leaving town.”

Zane snorted. My dad laughed right out. “Lord that boy reminds me of your Uncle Orrin. Like a dog with a bone.”

“You have no idea,” Zane muttered in disgust.

“Well sit down Son so I don’t get a crick in my neck. Want some lunch?”

“Naw Sir, already ate but thank you.”

“Good enough. Now let’s get down to business.”

Soon enough Daddy had Zane relaxed and they discussed what needed doing, what skills and tools Zane had, pay, and all the rest. An hour later I was dumping the refuse in the trash barrel and trying not to smile at the pole-axed look on Zane’s face and my father’s gleeful one. They walked over to the long trailer Daddy was hauling and were peering inside. I heard them talking in low tones.

“Sir, if you don’t mind repurposed materials we might be able to pick up most of what’ll be needed through auctions. That’s how I got most of my tools.”

“Good deal. I’m going to be transferring funds as needed for Sydney to use.”

That was news to me.

“And I want them to go as far as possible.”

Zane replied, “Is there any other way for money to go?”

Dad grinned, shook Zane’s hand, who then turned to leave. He stopped all of a sudden and then pulled out his phone then winced. He looked at what must have been a text, sighed, and then turned to find me grinning.

Smiling I said, “Looks like Junior needs some meds for that OCD.”

Zane shook his head a little. “He’s wound so tight because of Gran being in the shop today.”

“Uh huh,” I said still smiling.

Slowly Zane grinned, nodded in Daddy’s direction, and limped over to an old pick up. He waived again as he drove off.

I asked Daddy, “What do you think of him?”

“Looks like he finally grew into those hands and feet. Seems to have grown into a decent man as well from what I can tell from meeting him again and from what I’ve learned from Red.”

“You spoke to Uncle Red about this?”

“Of course. Boy used to be a little wild and willful but apparently what he went through knocked those rough edges off.”

“What did he go through?”

“A rough road and anything else he can tell you himself when and if he’s ready and not before.”

I got the message; keep my curiosity in check.

“Now c’mon and let’s get the rest of this over with. We’ll drop that box off after the bank so Junior won’t hunt us up,” he chuckled. “Then Red is going to meet us at the cabin with his son that is a deputy and they’re going to help us unload the trailer. You mind me cutting out and going fishing instead of staying overnight?”

I did kinda but I knew he didn’t get to fish as often as he used to and anything he caught would be welcome at home. I batted my eyes but then had to stop and say, “Of course not. Just be careful and if you get rained out …”

“You’ll be feeding me for sure,” he said smiling.

 

[Kathy in FL]

Chapter Nine

I hung up the phone from talking to Mom and stared at the mess with troubled eyes. To no one in particular I said, “You know, you could just say you won’t tell me your reasons. You don’t have to treat me like a child and make stuff up.”

Of course I could never actually say that to my parents. One it was way too disrespectful and two, I don’t really have any proof they are lying, just one of my feelings. The question I really want the answer to isn’t what their plans are – I trust them – it’s why. Why? If it’s secret, I get it. But, if I’ve not proven myself to be trustworthy I should at least be told what I’ve done wrong. It is really bothering me. Bothering me almost as much as finding out the money for the cabin repairs and everything is coming from some life insurance policies that my brother had had on him.

“Uh …,” I stuttered while Dad explained to Mr. Tennyson – to comply with the IRS requirements – where the money was being transferred from.

After we left Daddy sensed how ill at ease I was. “What’s on your mind Darlin’? Upset we didn’t tell you?”

“About what? Any money from Sam is your business. Just …”

“Just what?”

“Well …,” I hesitated. “Daddy shouldn’t you and Mom be saving that for your retirement or something?”

“Honey, retirement is a false concept. Didn’t exist until the government came up with it in the 1900s to move old workers out of the workforce so younger, cheaper workers could take their place.”

Not wanting a lecture on something I’d already grown up listening to I said, “Daddy …”

“Now listen Sydney, your mother and I have already discussed this. The cabin needs no small amount of work and upkeep that we’ve been putting off. Well, it can’t be put off any longer. We consider this an investment … an investment in the future. I’m working on some alternative income ideas that I’ve been putting off as well. Lots of things we’ve put off that it’s now time to deal with.”

“But why now? Why wait so long?”

“Part of it is the money was just released by the government two years ago. The so-called secret report on the incident needed to be completed and from there it had to filter down through the propers and then so many had to sign off on it, so on and so forth.”

“But you’ve had the money two years?”

“The … the powers that be were being nasty and watchful. So were the insurance companies.”

“How? And for criminey sake why?”

“Never you mind how.”

“But …”

“No buts Sydney Marguerite. And you are to speak of this with no one. Have I made myself understood?”

Feeling insulted I told him, “I never discuss family business. With anyone. Ever.”

“You did with Dan.”

“Not that again. I told you and Mom then and I’ll say it again … I most certainly did not. He told me he heard it from his mother that had heard the cable guy blabbing about having to work around some stuff in the basement. We don’t even store stuff down there ‘cause it gets damp. It was right after Aunt Rhonda and Patrice came to live with us and the medical supply company delivered all that stuff.”

“You sure?”

“Of course I’m sure. He was just running his mouth to needle me and made a near miss guess. I covered our tracks by laughing at him … Dan I mean. It caused an argument and we didn’t speak for three days.”

Dad sighed. “Happens I do remember that. You cried more those three days than …”

“It’s over and ancient history,” I interrupted. “Just don’t think I’d ever tell tales.”

Daddy gave me a long quiet stare but it wasn’t a distrustful feeling one. Things went back to normal after that but now I wonder if maybe that isn’t the reason – or one of them – that Daddy and Mom are intentionally keeping me out of some things. They don’t want me to be the weak link. And those “some things” include why Mom would be sending so many of the family heirlooms here. She’s also sent a lot of the photos and stuff. Not all of them, but most, and Daddy said more is on the way as Mom can sort it, label it, and that sort of thing.

The main thing she did this time was to make a video of herself explaining about the quilts and other linens she sent to the cabin. She’s also wrapped them and boxed them up with cedar with additional instructions on how she wanted them stored. For his part Daddy had taken the cedar lining that he’d meant to install at our house – they were interlocking pieces – and brought them to the cabin. Zane was going to work on lining closets between other jobs.

Daddy also brought most of Mom’s canning jars and equipment that weren’t already in use at home. When I saw it I thought it had been a mistake but Daddy said, “Call your mother. She’ll explain it.”

And she did though I’m not sure what to make of it. I was sure she’d said she planned to can the meat in the freezer. Now she says she’d canned all she intends to and is going to dry some but most of it will stay in the freezer as is.

“Sydney, I simply do not have the time or energy to can right now. You’re much closer to the farmer’s markets and u-picks that we’ve always used than I am. And with Herschel moving in that’s another adult male to feed. What I want you to do is what we already discussed … between classes take advantage of what’s available in the area and keep your ears open for deals, maybe someone willing to let their field or trees be gleaned.”

What was I supposed to say except, “Yes ma’am.”

I don’t know what I expected exactly by agreeing to move to the cabin like they wanted me to. To be honest I’ve been so busy and off balance I haven’t given it enough thought … apparently. I thought I was helping and things wouldn’t be much different from the way they were at home but I’m beginning to think maybe I’ve been set up. Which is an awful thing to think about your own parents. And I don’t, I mean not really, but something is certainly going on. I don’t know what it is and I’m afraid to guess since I may not like the answer.

Hopefully if I can just prove myself they’ll let me in on it but until then I’m just gonna focus on marking things off my longer than expected to do list. And one of those things includes going to that auction tomorrow.

 

[Kathy in FL]

Chapter Ten

I had continued to think about things all night and then when I got to the auction I thought about it more. I wandered around looking at things, seeing a few familiar faces, but it was running into Zane and seeing how he acted that really cemented what I’d been feeling.

“Zane, tell me the truth please. Is Daddy paying you to babysit me?”

Zane took a pull on the straw of the cold apple cider he finally accepted from me. “He isn’t paying me.”

Reading between the lines I said, “But he did suggest it was a condition of employment so to speak.” At his silence I had to turn away as those hurt feelings tried to come back.

Zane asked, “And you have a problem with that? Or is it with me? He said you’d be mad if you found out and would kick up a fuss. You aren’t are you because I need the work.”

With a sigh I answered, “Negative to all three. Let’s just get this done. Next time though let me know you’re going to be dogging me so I can make sure and bring enough snacks. If you’re working you should at least get something out of it.”

“Damn that’s a little insulting don’t you think?”

“So’s people thinking I need a babysitter. Let’s just get this over with.”

“Hey now …”

“Don’t. It’s not your problem.” I was fighting tears but I was determined that no one would know. I looked closely at my list to avoid looking at anyone else. I felt like they would all know my humiliation if I did. “Not much here on the building list today.”

After I felt him giving me a considering look he said, “Can’t expect to get everything the first time around.”

“OK.”

Curiously he asked, “You gonna pout? If you are I can tell you it’s a waste of energy.”

“You so obviously don’t know me. I’m way past being used to having things not pan out the way I expected and even if I wasn’t, it isn’t your problem … or business. You do your job and I’ll do mine.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means,” I said finally turning to look at him. “That I moved up here and it wasn’t on a whim or because I was running away from what’s at home. It was to help my parents. But I also thought I would have a life too. You know … friends, neighbors, school, work … a life. Got the school – it’s online. Got the work … consignment piece work and remodeling. Got the neighbors of all flavors from seasonal to local, including a man I call Uncle Red who’s a retired sheriff and his son who is a deputy now that will already be checking on me regularly as a favor to my dad to make sure I don’t burn the cabin down, drain the lake, or have crazy parties and make unsavory acquaintances. I thought I was working on the friend department but apparently not since it seems …” I grabbed ahold of my emotions and stopped mid-sentence. “That’s enough of that ridiculousness. Things are the way they are. Just point out what of this stuff you need for the job and let’s make a plan on who is going to bid on what.”

“You thought I was here as a friend,” he said. And he sounded surprised which did nothing for my already bruised ego.

“Don’t rub it in please. I’m really not capable of discussing this constructively right now, not to mention I don’t need tales of bad behavior getting back to my parents.”

I started walking up and down the aisles looking at the various lots and trying hard not to think about how wrong I’d been … again. I did manage to find my focus and left the auction having paid for stuff I would have overlooked as junk if Zane hadn’t explained what it could be used for. He took that stuff and said he would bring it with him Monday after he’d gone through it, cleaned it up and that sort of thing.

“Some of this stuff, if it doesn’t get used, can be combined and put in another auction that way your dad can recoup some of the expenses.”

“Talk to Daddy. He’s in charge.”

“He said you were.”

“Bull. If I was ‘in charge’ my parents wouldn’t have people dogging me.” My cell phone ran and I looked down and it was Uncle Red. I flipped it up for Zane to see before answering.

“Hi Uncle Red,” I said in a cheerful tone. “Yes Sir, we’re finishing up loading now” … “Oh passable. Didn’t get as much as I expected but Zane explained things.” … “Oh, I just ran into him. Figure better for him to go over things than waste the money buying the wrong stuff, especially since I can’t return it.” … “Oh that’s nice of you Uncle Red but I’m gonna drive myself. After church I’m going to Dog Belly to the flea market to start work on some stuff Mom wants done.” … “You too.” … “I will.” … “By Uncle Red.”

Zane said, “Parents still have you on a short leash I guess.”

I shrugged. “Apparently.” After debating for all of two seconds I said, “I can’t tell you what to do but I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t say anything about me figuring it out or being upset.”

“Why?”

“Because I … look I can see their point even if I … It’s just I’m their baby chick. Sure I’m nineteen but that apparently doesn’t matter. I’m out on my own for the first time and it’s not exactly next door where they can check on me regular themselves. In their eyes they’re teaching me independence, but on their terms.”

“But …”

“But nothing. It’s just the way things are … my reality for whatever reason. It’s my life and the living of it will be a lot more comfortable if I don’t do it at the expense of my parents’ peace of mind. They’ve been through enough.”

“You mean Sam.”

“I mean Sam and a lot of other stuff you don’t need to worry about that I’d rather not get into. Just …”

“OK, I won’t mention it … but I won’t lie either so if they ask direct I’ll tell them. However, I have one condition.”

“What?”

“That you continue to act like you’ve got something between your ears besides shaving cream and don’t turn into Pattie.”

“Pattie? You mean Junior’s lock box key keeper?”

It took him all of ten seconds to get my meaning and then longer than that to catch his breath back from where he’d laughed too hard and nearly strangled.

I just shook my head and told him, “You really don’t know me do you?”

 

[CGTech]

Ah, one of my favorites!

 

[AlaskaSue]

Ah, one of my favorites!

As it is for many of us…I love this story so much .

 

[ejagno]

Great story!

 

[Kathy in FL]

Chapter Eleven

“I was just so pleased to see you in church today. Your momma mentioned you usually went when you lived with them.”

Trying to turn my irritation into politeness I told Mrs. June, “They raised me right and it’s my job from here on out to keep doing it. I see you brought Max Slowthower with you.”

She turned a jaundiced eye in the direction of the boy who was desperately trying to avoid all the attention being given to him by four girls that looked about his age. “Well, he’s my grandson.” At the confused look that I hadn’t been able to hide she said, “Why on earth kids these days must complicate things I can’t even begin to guess. Annie … Zane’s oldest sister … and my youngest son … well Terrance had no business … and she was barely eighteen. Her father, God rest his soul, hadn’t been dead all that long which was part of the problem I suppose. Even though he made a mess of things while he lived. Annie’s mother got custody of Max when the adoption fell through after he was born with some health problems – since fixed praise God but still. When Annie and Max couldn’t bond … so there was an adoption, just not like was originally planned. Lucille is normally here but she’s visiting Jane, another Slowthower sister, who just had her first girl – thank the good Lord for His Mercy as she’s already got four boys, all stair steps if you can believe that – and it was by C-section and they tied her tubes at the same time. She said she’d sue the doctor if he didn’t cut ‘em, tie ‘em off, and burn ‘em shut permanently. Well I better get or the boy is going to mutiny. By Sugar. It really was so good to see you.”

I realized two things right then and there. Mom had her own people dogging me for her own reasons, and Mrs. June would bear careful watching as she was the kind of person that tended to regurgitate other people’s business at an alarming speed and volume.

I headed to my car still trying to remember and file all the gossip I’d heard when I was hailed by Uncle Red’s son Lawrence. “Yer ears sore yet?”

I tried to hold off my impatience to be gone from the fishbowl and told him, “Hmm. Just trying to keep things straight so I don’t accidentally create problems or hurt anyone’s feelings. Last thing I wanna cause is a ruckus because I stuck my foot in my mouth.”

He smiled and then got a little serious. “Got something to mention. I know our fathers have probably already given you enough do’s and don’ts to choke a mule but …”

I sighed and said, “But you have a few more. Look, I’m not a party girl. I’m not going to …”

He snorted. “Whoa there. I know you’re not. I know the type and you’re not it. And whatever our fathers may think I’m inclined to say you are more mature than they figure since you haven’t blown a gasket at everybody trying to get in your business. That or you’re the most easy-going person on this side of the cemetery sod. That said however, I’ve got more advice for you. Your parents aren’t the only ones putting a ‘caretaker’ on their lake place. Most of those types will clear out before too much longer and only stop by occasionally but there’s some on the Lodge side of the lake that seem to have settled in more permanently; and of those a couple are sketchy. One of ‘em in particular has a rap sheet that says he’s partial to pretty young things and isn’t finicky about how he goes about getting them.”

“If you’re talking about the chain smoker with the hairstyle left over from the 70s I already spotted him. He’s definitely a creep but was pretty weirded out when he saw me shoot a timber rattler in the wood pile and then dress him out … or maybe it was offering the meat to him.”

He got a pained look on his face. “No more of that. Dad might laugh, and I know for a fact a few others would too, but we’ve got a couple of new guys assigned by the state that wouldn’t. You already met them I believe.”

I blanched. “Oh. Well anything to avoid a performance like that again. Can I ask you something? You don’t have to answer if you can’t.” He raised an eyebrow reminding me of Spock. “What was it about me that set those two off?”

He looked briefly uncomfortable before saying, “You did NOT hear me say this. Don’t repeat it in any way, shape, or form. But you’d best heed it.”

“Uh … yes Sir.”

“We’ve got a pretty good department. We manage to keep out most of those that have no business being in Law Enforcement as they create as much work for us as our bad boys do; but, we have to suffer through politics the same as everyone else. Those two, they’re appointees. Some of us suspicion they were assigned here to keep tabs on people in our department even more than local troublemakers. No proof of it, but plenty of circumstantial evidence. I have no idea why they tried to bully you. Coulda been as simple as you are young and female. I do know they got their tail feathers smoked after word got around and have complained there must be something more to you for so many to be trying to push them off the scent.”

“I didn’t say anything to anybody! And I don’t have a scent … I mean … you know what I mean!”

Lawrence gave a small smile at my expense but I didn’t begrudge him despite wanting to. “Girl you didn’t have to say anything. This is Harmon we are talking about, and your people have been around for a long while. If people stopped gossiping every building between here and the Chattooga would collapse as all the hot air disappeared. And if you think Mrs. June is a pistol, you should meet those that gossip out of meanness.”

Shaking my head firmly I said, “No thank you. I’ve met too many of those types in my life already.”

He nodded. “Good. Then you know what I’m speaking at. Avoid drawing attention to yourself. Some people will talk anyway; they always do. Just don’t give them anymore to say than you can help. Hopefully the two we’re referring to will find someone else to get curious about.”

“Whoever it is will have my sympathies I’m sure.”

Lawrence nodded and said, “Yours and mine both.” That conversation, as well as others that had been thrown at me all morning long, occupied my mind until I pulled into Dog Belly.

Dog Belly really isn’t a town although it appears to be one during the tourist season. It is part RV and campground, part carnival, part pit stop, and part flea market. The flea market is only open on Saturdays and Sundays this time of year and since I’d been so busy this is the first day I’ve had the chance to go.

Three quarters of the flea market is junk by almost everyone’s standards, but it is the rest of it I hoped to have time to run through before people started closing up shop. I heard a lot of complaining about prices as I walked from the parking lot to the head of the first aisle but by the time I was done – having filled to overflowing the two-wheeled grocery cart I’d brought with me – I wondered where those people were shopping ‘cause I found the prices better than they were at the stands nearer home … even the ones that set up on the weekends near school that catered to starving students.

I hit the scratch-n-dent grocery stands and found them smaller and more thinly stocked than they had been in summers past, but I still located a few good deals. I hit the bulk candy stand and got enough that I could piece out and feed my monthly sugar monster. Bought some dark colored rags and towels that could be used more than once before I had to wash them and then several packs of bar rags that would stand up to hard use and being boiled clean. I also stocked up on socks, something I didn’t have enough of since at home I was barefoot or in sandals most of the year.

From linens I wandered into a dollar store type set up and bought a back scratcher, some plastic shower caps, and an obscene number of off-brand permanent markers to label cans and jars with. This place also sold off-brand seasonings and I grabbed several of the ones I used the most. Next, I helped clean out a couple of ethnic cooking stalls. I got good quality rose water, rose syrup, sirachi sauce, ghee, and peanut and olive oil in large cans. I was really surprised that several of the booths weren’t getting any business but figured out soon enough that some “good ol’ boys” were trying to scare people off from shopping in them. I heard the bad mouthing and ignored it. I learned the hard way that when people want to be fools there isn’t much of anything you can do to stop them. Plus, their loss was my gain. I got some really good deals. One of the Spanish ladies told me to go see her brother at the farmer’s market and I was more than happy to take most of their “dollar bags” off their hands.

The whole aisle was shutting down and I got some great deals all up and down it all things considered. Bananas are on the dehydrator and canned up as Banana Butter. I’ve got bags of lemons and limes to preserve as well. I’m up late – like that’s something new – and the house smells like cabbage, but I can live with it as one of the things Mom wanted was a few dozen jars of is sauerkraut. I also got a few bushels of things on their last legs that I’m going to have to do tomorrow to keep them from going to waste. Pole beans, cucumbers, corn, peaches, English peas, some melons, several quarts of blueberries, and plums. I almost got apples and pears but the tourists had cleaned those out. It doesn’t hurt my feelings too bad I suppose. I will just try the u-pick farm near the winery; their prices are usually decent if you are buying in bulk and willing to take less than pretty fruit.

Last place I stopped was the building where they sold packaged meats. It isn’t a butcher shop but where they sell name brand meats that are a little strange … like their packaging is misprinted or the weight is off or something like that. But what I had come after was bulk sausage and bulk burger. They sold it in these long plastic rolls that looked like logs of meat. The burger was the cheaper stuff but for the price I could deal with that. The bulk sausage came in mild, medium, and burn-the-hair-off-your-tongue. They’d also started selling fresh chorizo since I’d been in there last. I got some of everything and hoofed it to the truck so I could put the meat and fresh stuff in the coolers and get back to the cabin before it got any later. I’m going to make up a few freezer bags of the meat but the rest of it is going to be browned up and canned as quickly as I can get it done.

As soon as the canner cools down enough for me to open it and take the jars out I’m going to bed. Morning is going to get here way too early. Zane is supposed to fix the cellar stairs first before moving the chicken coop. In less than a week I’m taking delivery of some laying hens, a rooster, and some chicks I agreed to give a new home. A family that had posted a sign at the Dog Belly trade-or-sell board and I came to an agreement. They wanted a secure place to store their boat for a month until the woman’s father could pick it up as they were moving out west to look for steady work. I said they could back the boat into the end bay of the old barn so long as we got Uncle Red to witness it. They were more than happy to do just that as they already knew Lawrence because their daughters played softball together.

It’s going to mean being responsible for the boat for a while, but it also means I get chickens – laying chickens – faster than I thought. I just hope there’s no hold up on getting the chicken yard set up.

 

[Kathy in FL]

Chapter Twelve

Zane found out about the winery down in the cellar but only gave me a little bit of trouble about it when he found out it was actually Daddy’s hobby. “Did you know you can make wine out of cabbage?”

My sandwich was half-way to my mouth when Zane made his strange statement. “Now look, you wanna make fun of me for stinking up the house and running us out here onto the screen porch that’s one thing but …”

“If I’m lying I’m dying. I had a taste of some last summer. Wasn’t bad if you don’t mind being a little adventurous.”

“Uh huh. Sure.”

“I’m serious. Your father makes traditional stuff but you can make wine out of just about anything so long as you’ve got enough sugar and the right kind of yeast.”

I checked my phone as we sat there and sure enough you can do just that. “Ok, I admit it, I was wrong.”

He grabbed the table and looked around like the earth was shaking then grinned and said, “See? Not everything you think winds up being true.”

“Yeah I’ve run into that fact a few times. You want the rest of these chips? I’ve had enough.”

At my abrupt response he said, “Hey, I … I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings again.”

“I know and you didn’t. Just the facts.”

“I just meant …”

“Zane don’t worry about it. Pass me your trash and I’ll …”

“You know, you’re just about approaching stubborn. Now let me say my piece before I manage to screw up again.”

“Huh?”

“All I meant was that just because I agreed to keep a look out for you that doesn’t mean … what I’m trying to say is …” he took his hat off and a bunch of sawdust came out and got all over the table. “Dammit.”

“Zane?”

“I swear Max would be better at this and he hates girls.”

“That good is it?”

“What? No! I just mean … Look I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. And I didn’t mean for you to think that I wouldn’t appreciate being a friend. I’m just out of practice at it … especially with females and you surprised me is all.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why would you be surprised I’d want to be friends? You have girls jumping on you too much?”

He laughed harshly, “Not hardly. Oh I used to have my fair share but …”

“But what?”

“You don’t know do you.” He shook his head, stuck out his leg and lifted his pant leg.

I got a good look and said, “Wow, is that one of the new titanium ones? I went to school with a guy that said the joints on those are way better than what the VA was giving out a couple of years ago. He said they hardly need adjusting and the way they attach to the stump doesn’t chaff near as much either because it breathes or something like that.”

Momentarily stunned Zane finally asked, “Your father told you?”

“Huh? Why would he since it doesn’t keep you from doing what he hired you for?”

“Then you heard it someplace else.”

“Not hardly. I can’t even see why it would come up in a conversation.”

“I’m missing a foot.”

“No you’re not. It’s made out of titanium but since it’s right there it’s certainly not missing.”

He snorted. “Trust me, that’s not the reaction I normally get.”

“Apparently not given your attitude but … well … I guess the world is full of people with no sense but that’s not my fault. You want more tea?”

He just looked at me for a moment then picked up his glass and said, “Please?”

Zane worked the rest of the afternoon finishing the new cellar stairs. After he finished we walked up and down them several times and they didn’t even squeak.

“You plan on using the cellar a lot?”

“Yeah,” I told him.

“Well you’re gonna need better lighting than that one bulb on a string.”

Cautiously I hedged, “I don’t know if the breaker could handle anything else on that circuit.”

“That why the chest freezer is out in the barn?”

“That and can you imagine trying to get a deep freeze down those old stairs?”

“Can you padlock it?”

“The cellar?”

“Well that too but I mean the freezer. You might lose stuff if you don’t.”

Guessing at what he really meant I said, “You mean have it stolen.” At his nod I told him, “I don’t plan on storing anything but ice for more than a day or two.”

Changing subjects he said, “I see you like to can. I don’t know too many who still do it.”

“Like is a funny word. More along the lines of I like to eat and I like to keep Mom happy. Most of this will be going home with Daddy next time he comes. Food is cheaper out here than it is at home and my aunt is sick, unable to work, and my cousin is still getting used to being in a wheel chair. Just makes more sense for me to do the canning so Mom can focus on nursing.”

“Gran thinks similarly though it’s because of all of us living in or around her place.”

“I remember you and Josh and I’ve met Junior and Max. Mrs. June and Daddy both mentioned sisters.”

“Let’s see there’s Josh, Annie, Jane, John, Me, Belle, and then Max.” He stopped for a moment then said, “About Max …”

“Someone has already told me and I still say it’s none of my business. You say he’s your brother, that’s good enough for me. Next subject.”

Zane was uncomfortable for a moment then shrugged and said his good byes. “I have a previous commitment I have to work on tomorrow but I’ll be back on Wednesday if that’s ok.”

“Sure. I hate to be a nag but can it be the chicken coop next?”

“If that’s what you want.”

“It’s what I need otherwise I’d leave you alone about it.” Then I explained why the chicken coop before the woodshed.

“Ok but let’s put on a couple of padlocks first. On the barn too. I’ve got some junk rebar that I’ll fabricate hasps out of for the barn. Do you have locks?”

“Daddy brought a bunch he had rekeyed.”

“Good.”

Since he left I’ve been sitting here trying to decide whether to go out tomorrow or not. I could make another store run but then again I still have stuff here at the cabin that needs canning. I also need to let Daddy know the stairs are finished but I’ll do that by texting him a picture. I would call him but I found out our phone plan changed. We still have unlimited texting but they had to cut the long distance minutes. I’m gonna check to see if moving my cell over to the bill I already pay for internet access at the cabin would be cheaper.

Looks like I’m gonna need to find something besides consignment work or my savings is going to completely disappear before next semester’s bill comes due.

 

[Kathy in FL]

Chapter Thirteen

“Well why the Sam Hill were you in the shower in the middle of the day?!”

“Daddy stop yelling. You’re making the connection go all static-y or you would have heard me the first time.”

“Don’t sass me Sydney Marguerite. Why was that boy answering your phone?”

“Probably ‘cause he saw it was you calling and worried it was an emergency. I told him about Aunt Rhonda being sick.” At his snort I also told him, “And I was in the shower because a 2-liter of pop fell off the top of the frig, hit the floor and exploded all over me and everything else.”

“What was a … what?!”

Starting from the beginning again since he hadn’t listened the first time I said, “It all started when I fell out of bed this morning. Wait, just let me explain. I fell out of bed because those people that bought the house from Mr. Karlson decided to start trimming trees at 5:30 in the morning because he had to leave early and go back to Atlanta. Maybe I could have gone back to sleep after that but about fifteen minutes into it there was this loud whoomp noise that rattled our windows. He apparently hired Larry, Moe, and Curly to do the deed and they dropped a tree on the house, the stove had been on for coffee … a propane stove … and basically they had to call three ambulances and two fire trucks and we are lucky I close the shutters at night or we would have probably lost windows; three other places sure did.”

“Sydney …”

“Well needless to say my nerves were shot for the foreseeable future, but I still had pickles to put up that I canned yesterday. Only I dropped a jar of them and had broken glass and pickle juice all over the countertop and floor. I move everything to clean that up and I’m moping the floor when I backed into the frig – where I’d set the bottle of pop to keep it safe because the table was full – causing things on top to fall over only the pop didn’t just fall over it fell down making an even bigger mess than the pickles had since it exploded like Mount Vesuvius.”

“Sydney …”

“And that’s when Zane walks in to tell me he was late because they’d not been letting anyone down Lake Road and the other bottle fell off the frig and repeats what its predecessor did only right at my feet so I took the brunt of the fizz and syrup. I’m dropping cola from every millimeter.”

“Sydney …”

“It has been a very difficult few days. I started classes, have all this other stuff going on, I’ve barely slept in three days and Zane just standing there trying not to laugh … I started crying. Well I guess I shocked him ‘cause his mouth fell open and he took two steps into the kitchen and you know how slick this old linoleum is when it gets wet. When he fell I got scared and tried to run – bad idea – and wound up face forward on the floor nearly drowning in a puddle of mixed cola and pickle juice.”

“Sydney …!”

“Only see Zane has sisters so he saved me from drowning, sends me to shower off and tells me he’ll clean the mess up and I was ready because at the rate I’m going I worried I was gonna bring the cabin down. I’m finally clean – though from the feel of it I missed getting all the syrup out of one of my ears – and climbed out of the shower …”

“Sydney Marguerite!”

“Only to find that the first time I’ve heard from you or Mom in two weeks beyond a txt’d ‘OK’ you’re yelling ‘cause you think I’m jumping Zane’s bones!!”

Zane yelped and snatched the phone away from me and starts squawking at Daddy that he has the wrong idea and can prove it because Uncle Red and Lawrence are on the porch.

Oh they’re on the porch all right laughing like hyenas. Zane gives the phone to Uncle Red like it’s a nuclear device about to go off. That only makes the two of ‘em laugh even harder and then to add insult to injury after Uncle Red confirms what I told Daddy – tears streaming down his face ‘cause he can’t stop laughing – I hear Daddy join in.

At that point I’d had it. I went back to my room, slammed the door, and vowed I wasn’t ever coming out again. A little while later there’s a knock on my door and it’s Zane.

I asked him, “You got a death wish or did you just draw the short straw?”

“Did you know my sister’s full name at birth is Calamity Jane Slowthower?”

“Huh?”

“Yeah. As a matter of fact all of us are named after cowboys except for Josh who is named after our grandfather. There’s Josh Todd Lincoln Slowthower, Annie Oakley Slowthower, Calamity Jane Slowthower, John Wayne Slowthower, Zane Gray Slowthower, Belle Star Slowthower, and Mom decided to continue the tradition with Max Brand Slowthower.”

“You’re pulling my leg.”

“Am not. Don’t believe me ask anyone around. My dad was never east of the Mississippi but he had a real thing for cowboys and the Wild West.”

“And why are you telling me this?”

“’Cause you remind me a bit of Jane. She used to get so busy trying to prove that she wasn’t the problem child our sister Annie was that when a problem did happen it was usually a doozy and she wound up acting like she was gonna die or something because she thought people would suddenly start thinking less of her.”

I cracked open my bedroom door and said, “I hate people laughing at me. With me is OK, at me if I’m fooling around on purpose is OK, at me for other stuff … not OK.”

“So I gathered.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For throwing a tantrum and ‘cause Daddy ….” I shrugged.

“Well it’s straightened out.” He handed me my phone. “He said call him when you’re done being mad.”

“Might be what he said. What he means is pick my bottom lip up off the floor and deal with it.”

“Uh … your dad doesn’t seem that … er … harsh.”

“No. But he’s … let’s just say he is intolerant of people living in the land of self-pity. If you get the can’t-help-its every once in a while that’s to be expected, just don’t settle in and act like that all the time.” I sighed. “I better call and find out what’s up.”

 

[Kathy in FL]

Chapter Fourteen

After the call Zane carefully asked, “You sure your Dad doesn’t think …”

“I’m sure. I’m sorry he made you upset. It’s not you, it’s me. I don’t have a great track record.”

“One guy doesn’t make a track record.”

Startled I glanced his way still embarrassed by him witnessing my behavior earlier. “Uh …”

“Your dad told me. But … why don’t you tell me?”

“Why?”

“’Cause I’m no fonder of being a fool than you are. And if I’m supposed to steer guys away from you at your dad’s request it’d be nice if I knew why.”

“Why? ‘Cause Daddy is normally the protective type. Why is he being over the top right now? Because a guy I was dating for three years exploited his stupid gene, got into a lot of trouble, and in the process hurt me.” I explained in more detail and then went on to explain why my aunt, uncle, and cousin lived with us. How the economy was taking its toll, yada, yada, and etc., etc.

“Sounds sane compared to some stuff in my family. I wouldn’t let it get you down. Everyone has crap happen to ‘em.”

“Like your foot?”

Slowly he nodded. “It was over a year before I got fitted for a prosthetic. People just … they still see what is missing.”

“Except nothing is missing.”

He gave a small grin. “And I’m not going to try and convince you otherwise.”

“Good. ‘Cause you can’t.”

He leaned against a tree while I hung the last of the rags on the clothesline then he asked, “Think those cluckers are going to be ok if you take tomorrow off?”

“You tell me.”

“I say if a chicken can be happy, those feather dusters are. They’re already laying.”

“Yes they are. They are consistently giving me an egg a day each. Don’t let me forget to give you that dozen eggs.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to. You bring me the scraps to feed the chickens from your sister’s restaurant.”

“You kidding? She’s thrilled to get rid of it now they are charging by the pound for disposal. Old guy that used to get the stuff for his pigs died over the summer and Annie says no one answered her advertisement offering things for free.”

“Well I’m thankful. What the chickens don’t eat I rake up and throw on the compost pile I’m building. Mom used to have one when I was little then she went to work at the hospital and she didn’t have time to do it anymore. They stopped doing a lot of things after Sam died.” I shook my head. “Sorry. I know how that sounds.”

“It’s ok. People … change. Mom just about gave up living after Dad’s liver gave out and he didn’t qualify for a transplant. Max … well that’s the reason why none of us squawked about the adoption. John did a little but he and Annie don’t get along.”

“John is the one that doesn’t live around here.”

“Yeah, he works on oil pipelines and right now works for a refinery in Mobile.”

“There was only Sam and me and he was ten years older. Must be nice to have so much family.”

He shrugged. “About like anything else. If you don’t work at it, all you’ve got is a crowd with not much in common. Hey, you mind if I bring Max tomorrow? Junior and Max … let’s just say they get along better when they don’t have to be around each other too much.”

“Sure I guess. But won’t he get bored? And isn’t tomorrow a school day?”

“Max does online school. He don’t do so well in the classroom. We’ll call going a geography lesson and then let him find the math, history, and English.” Glancing at me he said, “It’s not as weird as it sounds.”

“It doesn’t sound weird at all. I was homeschooled until high school. That’s the year our state law changed and Mom didn’t have the time or money to get the right certification. Plus, with Mom working more they didn’t like me being home by myself so much during the day.”

“I take it they only thought they knew what goes on in public school.”

I grinned and shrugged. “And I didn’t complain much because they already felt guilty about what they did know went on.”

“You sure you don’t care if Max comes?”

“Positive. You still want me to pick you up at the store?”

“Yeah. And thanks for driving. Josh needs my truck ‘cause he blew a head gasket and the part won’t be in ‘til Monday.”

“Not a prob,” I told him. “Sandwiches OK for lunch?”

“Yeah but it’s my turn. I did some work at the Bait ‘n Tackle and got paid in gift cards. I’ll grab something from the deli. Plus tonight’s the night Annie brings home leftovers from her restaurant.”

“Well, what can I bring then?”

“Jug of tea?”

“OK, and I’ve got paper plates and stuff too. I’ll also bring the rest of this cake so it doesn’t get stale.”

“Sounds good.”

Zane left and I txt’d Daddy that the foundations for both the greenhouses were well under way. One greenhouse was your typical stand-alone structure. The other one was going to end up as an addition to the cabin. The stand-alone one wouldn’t be so bad but the attached “sun room” required permits and to get those some wiring was going to need to be replaced though not much because the cabin only had electric primarily in the kitchen and family room and the kitchen had been rewired five years ago when the panel box blew. Luckily Zane kept his electrical license up since that is what he’d trained to do in the military. Normally electricians make a pretty good living, but the company Zane had been working for shut down rather abruptly rather than comply with the new small business laws and concurrent taxes. It caught Zane off guard, and it had taken him a while to admit he needed the prosthetic and by then he’d used up a lot of his savings.

It was also then that he moved home and tried to start over thinking that starting at the beginning would be better for him and the family. Josh had been going through a nasty divorce – he was real invested emotionally in his step kids and wanted visitation which the courts surprisingly granted twice a month over their mother’s objections – and his grandmother’s and mother’s health was getting problematic.

I just had a weird thought. I know more about Zane’s family’s day-to-day than I know about my own right now. I’ve tried emailing Patrice but she replied that she didn’t want to be friends and even unfriended me on all our mutual social media and made it so I can’t see anything on her pages at all. I’m starting to feel cut off. Maybe I can find out from Uncle Herschel what is going on.

 

[Kathy in FL]

Chapter Fifteen

“Hey Max!”

My cheerful good morning was answered with an embarrassed grunt. I looked at Zane who shrugged. I figure some people just aren’t morning people and let it go.

I asked Zane, “You wanna drive? I looked at mapquest and google earth and I still couldn’t find the place.”

“Told you,” he said with a grin. Zane was a morning person.

I tossed him the keys and motioned for Max to get in. “Why do I have to sit in the middle?” he grumped.

Shrugging I told him, “You don’t. We can tie you to the hood like a deer but I’m thinking that would be even less comfortable.”

He gave me a look that said, “You’re weird.” Then finally got in. Zane was trying not to laugh.

It took two hours’ worth of county roads and back ways before we reached our destination. Despite the distance and iffy weather there was a decent turn out. “Wow, more people than I expected.”

Zane nodded. “Me too. Let me get us checked in.” When he came back he looked more relaxed. “Looks like the auction house decided to clear some of their storage bays. I’m guessing more people are here for that than the estate sale. You look around for stuff on your list, I’ll take Max and look at building supplies. Some corporation bought the land and is going to demo the house and outbuildings.”

“Awww. Seems a shame. It’s a pretty place.”

“A pretty place full of wood rot in the porches and eaves of the house. They’ve got a sign up that you enter the house at your own risk. You still game?”

“We’re here. It’s worth a look.”

And it was definitely worth a look. The place was floor to ceiling stuff. The auctioneers were moving a lot of it out – some to put into auction lots, some for a straight estate sale/yard sale – but there would still be plenty in the house which was being auctioned off by the floor. Attic, 2nd floor, 1st floor, and cellar; the catch was it was a cash-only auction where you had to be able to pay for and carry off everything before leaving the grounds. Anything you left behind was forfeit.

A lot of people bid on the contents of the attic and the first and second floors but I was the only one that bid on the cellar. There was a wet spot over in the corner of cellar and it smelled pretty funky down there … like mice and mildew. The stairs down to it were also questionable at best. But sometimes the unknown is worth taking a chance on. Zane bid on and won an enclosed trailer that needed some extensive body work but that was still road-worthy. Luckily it came with a tag that still had a month before it expired. Zane also won a “U-Pull-It” tag that meant he could take whatever he could pull from the house that would take place after those of us who had won the floors emptied them.

Zane had a concerned look on his face when he said, “Syd, those stairs are a lot worse than the ones I repaired.”

Since the bidding was all done and no one could complain I finally grinned and winked at Max as I let the cat out of the bag. “Your brother found an exterior entrance. It’s boarded over but it looks so rotted I bet even I could get into it with just a crowbar.”

“What’s down there you want so bad?”

I looked around carefully before whispering my answer. “Jars. Dozens and dozens of them. Both new style and those antique blue and green types with the zinc lids. In all sizes. The new quart jars cost more than a buck each. You can’t find the larger ones anymore unless you order them special online and that’s if you can find them in stock. Basically the larger ones down there are priceless. That alone covers the investment. Daddy brought me a bunch to use but I’ve already gone through three-quarters of them. There’s a bunch of old tools down there too – the non-electric type. There’s some enamelware basins and I don’t know what all else. Max mentioned scrap metal too but I don’t know, you’ll have to look at it.”

Before he could say anything the people with the demo tags were called to the front stairs of the porch and told 1-2-3 GO! I ran and drove the truck and trailer over and found that Max had already managed to tear dead vines down and rip down most of the rotted plywood. We started bringing the jars that were in cases up first and stacking them on the floor of the trailer. About thirty minutes in we see people come flying out of the house yelping, followed by a huge swarm of wasps.

“Geez, where’s a flamethrower when you need it?” I asked from the safety of the truck cab. I heard a strange noise from Max but when I turned to look at him I realized the noise was a rusty laugh. I asked, “Zane isn’t allergic is he? Oh my gosh, are you?!”

He shook his head. “Naw.”

Then my cell phone vibrated making me jump. It was Mom. By the time I finished describing the problem she was laughing so hard I had to take the phone away from my ear and didn’t even need it on speaker.

“Sydney Marguerite Zitterbarth, the situations you get into. Did those poor boys set stung? If they did I put a bag of your father’s old tobacco into your first aid kit. You know how to spit on it and make a poultice. If you have any cumin in there that’ll help as well.”

I almost laughed at Max’s horrified expression, then saw they were giving the all clear. I told Mom and she told me to get back to work. I was kind of disappointed she didn’t think more of the jars but then the phone vibrated again and it was a txt.

“Great job on the jars Syd. I’m proud of you.”

**********

“You sure don’t need something for that hand? It looks painful.”

“Yeah Zane. Let her spit on it so it won’t hurt.” Max made the rusty laugh and collapsed onto the bumper of the truck.

An older gentleman strolled up and said, “Boy, one of these days you’ll be begging just to have a pretty girl spit on you.”

Max said, “No way. Uh uh.”

The old man just grinned knowingly and asked, “Wouldn’t happen to have a pinch to share would you? Gave up smoking years ago, unfortunately m’ wife got a good one on the back of her neck.”

A few other people heard of the remedy and soon enough there were several people sporting blobs of tobacco (and their own spit) or yellow paste made from the bottle of cumin I also keep handy. When we eventually got back on the road Max asked, “Why do you have such weird stuff in your first aid kit?”

I shrugged carefully as I was driving this time and answered, “Because my mom does.”

“Do you do everything the way your momma does it?”

Just in case the question was deeper than it appeared I answered, ”Well, see my mom tries to follow the WWJD principles and she told me that she tries really hard most of the time to do the right thing but that if I ever get conflicted to think WWJD instead of WWMD.”

“WWMD?”

“What would Mom do.”

“Uh, no offense, but your momma sounds as strange as you do.”

Zane snapped, “Max!”

I laughed, “Oh it’s ok. Max and I have an understanding. We’ve decided honesty is the best policy. This way he knows I’m a girl that means what I say instead of being confusing.”

“Yeah,” Max said. “It’d be nice if girls were like guys and were honest and stuff.”

Quietly I told him, “Not all guys are like that.”

“Oh. Some guy broke your heart.”

I went to automatically deny it and make a joke then stopped and stuck to honesty. “Into a million tiny pieces. Look you, just learn to be friends with people. Sometimes you’ll get hurt and sometimes you’ll hurt someone else. But if you’re real friends with someone, hurts can be healed. And that’s about as far on the subject as I care to go. OK?”

“Sure. Getting’ kinda girly.”

That made me grin. “Sure is. But just so’s you know, I see ice cream in our future.”

Zane did that Spock thing with his eyebrow, a habit of his that tickled me for some reason. “Oh you do?”

“Yes I do. I happen to know there is a gallon of homemade banana ice cream hiding under the broccoli in my freezer. And if we’re quiet, and sneak up on it good, we might also be able to catch the ‘nilla wafers that like to hang out with it.”

Max looked at me, then at Zane. “She’s really strange. But that’s ok. She’s got ice cream.”

It took almost two miles for Zane to finally stop laughing.

 

[Kathy in FL]

Chapter Sixteen

“Dingety Dangety Frazzle Snots!!”

“Zane! She’s talking strange AND dancing this time.”

“I’m not dancing!” I yelled up to the kitchen. “I stubbed my toe!”

Zane yelled back, “Break anything?”

“Ha ha, very funny!”

It wasn’t though. It had been raining steadily for a week and I had come down this morning to find a corner of the cellar was damp. I didn’t know what to do but I did know that damp wasn’t good. On top of that Zane had a prior commitment running electric to a workshop and hadn’t seen him for a couple of days and didn’t know if he was even available to help.

I sat and panicked for a few minutes before getting up the nerve to call Zane anyway, only Max answered.

“We were just gonna call you,” he said.

“You were?”

“Yeah. Me and Zane wanted to know if you were gonna be around. We have an unexpected slot opening in our work schedule.”

“Is that a fact?”

Zane could be heard saying, “Give me that Monkey.”

“Zane?”

My tone of voice must have alerted him to something going on. “Yeah … uh …”

Deciding to just go for broke I said, “Please say Max wasn’t kidding.”

“Er … no … no he wasn’t. Got finished with the other place a day quicker than I expected. What’s up?” I explained and he asked, “The floor of the cellar is wet?”

“Yes. The northeast corner where the floor slopes.”

“Just wet on the floor?”

“No. It looks like it is running down the wall right there.”

“Hmmmm. OK, you know how to turn the water off from the well?”

“Yeah. Daddy said turn the ‘lectric off at the well then turn the red spigot handle to the right.”

“You do that just in case it is a broken pipe. That corner is right under the kitchen and bathroom and that outside wall.”

Not any less worried when presented with the new possibility I asked, “That’s fixable?”

“Most things are.”

Not appreciating his sense of humor right at that moment I said, “You know what I mean.”

“Yeah. But there is no need to panic. I can hear it in your voice that you’re thinking about running that direction. Now stop being upset. Cellars get wet and pipes leak. Then you fix ‘em.”

“If you say so.”

“I do. Did anything besides the floor get wet?”

“No, but it will if I don’t move stuff.”

“OK. You start moving stuff – I’ll need the area clear to work one way or the other – and
we’ll be there in about thirty.”

**********

I got lucky. It wound up only being the hose bib on the outside of the house. But clean-up was harder because a lot of wood got wet where the water ran between the blocks and into the drywall of that part of the cellar. Plus it took two long, orange extension cords to have power for the wet vac.

Shaking his Zane said, “Syd I still don’t understand why your dad won’t let me run any additional electric. The panel will support it.”

Carefully I tried to explain, “Well part of it is he’s only allocated so much money for renovations.”

“I can understand that but with all the money you’ve saved him …”

“Plus when we are up here we try and live without ‘lectricity as much as possible. He wants … hmmm …”

With a small smile of what turned out to be understanding he said, “Some weird family thing?”

“Not weird exactly, but … ok yeah, it’s weird and it’s a family thing.”

“Ok. But you need to try and at least talk him into letting me update some of the wiring and fixtures. If safety isn’t a concern then he might like the idea of a smaller utility bill.”

“That might do it,” I admitted with a relieved grin that he wasn’t forcing the issue.

 

[Lake Lili]

Thanks Kathy!
Lili

 

[9idrr]

It's okay with me if'n you wanna go ahead 'n' post another five... or six... or seven chapters today.

 

[Kathy in FL]

Chapter Seventeen

“Thanks for coming with me Max.”

Max crossed his arms and stared out the passenger window. “Yeah. Right. Gran and Grams just asked you to babysit me.”

“Actually they did say something but only after I asked if it was ok to hire you away from Junior for the day.”

“Sure.”

I reached over and poked him causing him to jump before asking him, “Haven’t we agreed to speak the truth to each other?”

He looked at me suspiciously then asked, “You really asked first?”

“Yeah, I did. I racked my shins day before yesterday carrying a basket up the stairs. You saw the nasty bruise on top of the big knot. But I’ve got to go picking apples today or I won’t get to.”

“Why?”

Sighing I said, “School is about to get ferocious.”

“You go to school?!”

I guess I had surprised him though I honestly thought he knew. “Yep. Online, same as you only mine is college.”

“You can do college online?” he asked like I just got a whole breed of interesting.

I explained, “Most of it you can. I clep’d a bunch of classes – that means I took a test that let me skip some introductory courses – and dual enrolled some classes in high school too that I got credit for. Last year I was in the classroom for a full load. If I hustle, I’ll have finished my bachelor degree by the end of the spring semester.”

“Whatcha wanna be?” Max asked curiously.

“I’m double majoring … Public Health and Nutrition. Unless I have to pick up a couple of other electives and then it will be Public Health and Biomedical Sciences.”

“Sounds boring. Why you wanna be a doctor for?”

“I don’t. At least not right now. Maybe later.”

“You don’t sound all that excited about it one way or the other.”

“Why do you say that?”

“When Zane gets started about electrical stuff and fixing things he never shuts up. I’ve never heard you talk about … nutrition and the bio whatever stuff.”

“It’s actually pretty interesting.”

“But?”

I looked at him and recognized a kindred spirit in the “feeling” department.

“But … I don’t know. It doesn’t make me wanna hula nekked in front of a stadium full of people. On the other hand, I don’t know if anything should be that exciting.”

“Probably not,” he agreed with wide eyes and red ears. “What do you want to do?”

“That’s easy. What I’m doing right now. One of the reasons Daddy asked me to come take care of the place is because he knows I love it and like … well he and Mom call it piddling around … cleaning, organizing, refurbishing stuff, things like that. But these days you can’t make a living at that so …”

“So you do stuff you don’t like so that you can do stuff you do like.”

“I wouldn’t say I don’t like it. I just like doing other stuff better.”

“But why not do stuff you like better all the time?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Is it because your parents expect you to be a Nutrition bio whosiwhatsit?”

“OK, it’s not totally complicated,” I admitted since he’d already guessed. “Yeah some of it is about what my parents expect. Some of it is I had expectations. And some of it is just … some stuff has been happening in my life and it’s turned my expectations upside down.”

“What kinda stuff?”

I gave a very abbreviated and age-appropriate view of the last eighteen months in my life and he got thoughtful before saying, “Well that explains why Zane told me he’d give me a swirly if I asked if you had a boyfriend.”

“Zane’s a nice guy … mostly,” I told him with a wink. “Though I kinda got the swirly threat myself if father talk came up with you.”

“Oh. I don’t got a father.”

“Mrs. June’s son doesn’t …?”

“Nope. Don’t want him to either. He’s weird.”

“That’s not something that can’t be overcome. Look at me, you think I’m weird.”

“No. You’re strange. He is just weird. He fried his brain huffing meth.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“I’m ok with it. It’s Grams that feels bad. She shouldn’t. And she and Uncle Dirk try to do stuff for me that a dad would do.”

“Who is Uncle Dirk?”

“Grams’ other son. He almost drowned when he was a kid so … they call it something, I forget what. Uncle Dirk is kinda cool but he couldn’t be a dad because people have to take care of him. He lives in a house with other people like him now because Grams says he needs more independence and friends his own age and interests.”

“What about Josh?”

“Eh … he’s all about his step kids. They’re ok. When they lived here we used to hang out a lot. But they’re mom doesn’t like us anymore because she got tired of living feast-or-famine and wanted a man with a more stable income than Josh gets as a river guide in the summer and a trail guide the rest of the year.” Then he surprised me by saying, “Zane would be a cool dad. He knows stuff and isn’t as grumpy as he used to be. As long as I get my schoolwork done and get good grades he doesn’t mind if I go with him places.”

“You’re a good helper.”

“But he lets me come even when I can’t help. Sometimes I just read.”

“He must trust you to stay out of trouble.”

“I’ll do anything not to have to go with Junior. I don’t mind working at the shop, I just get tired of Junior bossing me all the time. And Pattie is always hanging around and they do stuff Gran wouldn’t like when they think no one is looking.”

“Ew.”

He made a horrible face and then said, “You ain’t kidding.”

“Well speaking of helping … here we are,” I told him as I turned into the U-pick farm and orchard.

I was more grateful than I could express to have Max with me for the whole day. We picked many boxes and bushels of apples of each kind that was currently available. Golden Delicious, Red Rome, Rome Beauty, the tail end of the Winesaps, and a beaucoup bunch of Arkansas Black and Granny Smith.

Winesap apples are tart and crisp and great for baking or snacking on. Golden delicious are good for pies, making apple butter, and for eating fresh or in salads. The Rome apples are also used for cooking because they are nice and firm and don’t fall apart when they are heated. The Arkansas Black is a long keeping apple that tastes nice and tart when first picked and then mellows out during storage. Granny Smith is the famous lock-you-jar green apple using for pie baking and fresh storage. In addition to canning, I planned on using a mixture of Rome Beauty, Golden Delicious, and Winesap apples for making several gallons of cider.

Not only did Max help me with the picking he helped me get all the apples into the truck and then from the truck into the house and down into the cellar. In addition to a day’s pay – something he apparently didn’t know he was going to get – I fed him and told him to take home a box of the best apples. “Make your grandmother happy, you might be surprised what she is willing to overlook the next time.”

Max’s eyes widened and then so did his grin. When I dropped him off at the store Mrs. Slowthower came out and before she could say anything Max said, “I brought these for you Gran. I made sure they didn’t have any worm holes or anything.” He went on about the different kind of apples and that he always had thought she had the best fried pies. “And Junior cain’t have these for the store. They’re for you Gran.”

Mrs. Slowthower looked duly impressed and then smiled at me when Max wasn’t looking. I was invited to dinner but politely declined. I had a ton of apples waiting on me back at the cabin.

 

[Kathy in FL]

Chapter Eighteen

I heard Daddy’s startled voice coming up from the cellar griping, “What they hey?!”

“Oops. Watch your head!” I called.

“Sydney what on earth is in all of these mesh bags? Are these … wait … are these peanuts?! How many … are you … Sydney what have you been up to?!”

From the kitchen where I was throwing some more tomato juice and veggies into the vegetable stew I had planned for lunch I yelled, “There’s a flashlight at the top of the stairs if you need it.”

Zane walked by with his big spot light and said, “I’ll take this to them. I want to show your dad the problem with that wiring.” I silently wished him good luck and went back to trying to stretch the noon day meal for my parents’ unexpected arrival.

Fifteen minutes later Mom walked into the kitchen where she’d been inspecting things with Daddy and we hugged. “Oh Syd, I had no idea. There’s so much. You have no idea …” then she burst into tears.

“Mom?!”

As I patted her back she got herself under control and said, “Oh don’t mind me. It’s just such a relief.”

“From what?!” I asked having her sit down and pouring her a glass of water.

“Seeing that you can do this. That you’re making it work. We’ve been so worried.”

“Again, about what? I’ve been keeping you updated. It’s not … I mean … yeah, it’s work and sometimes there aren’t enough hours in the day but it’s like this at home. Is … is it anything else? Aunt Rhonda?”

She patted my hand. “Honey she’s never going to be what she was. They got the cancer but the treatment caused a secondary infection which caused a clot then caused a stroke and some nerve damage in her face. We’ve tried not to make a lot of it because Rhonda is so depressed and seems to hear every little word said and takes it out of context or exaggerates it. She was always so vain, and this has really hurt her. Herschel tries as much as Rhonda lets him, but she’s got a long road ahead of her, made harder ‘cause she is so stubborn.”

“She wouldn’t be Aunt Rhonda if she wasn’t. How’s Patrice?”

Mom laughed and said, “Every bit her mother’s daughter, but she’ll do anything for Herschel. He’s trying to get her to socialize with people her own age but she’s still not ready although there is one young man at the civic center that seems to be able to get passed her barriers. He brings his twin brother for the adult day care program while he works.”

“Patrice was always finicky. And none of that is my business according to her so I’ll stay out of it. What about you and Dad? How are you doing?”

“Well I’ve picked up two in-home patients. They expect I will be able to pick up more within the month if I want them. They are sending more people home from the hospital with orders for palliative care only.”

“They’re sending terminals home? Just like that?”

“Last year many wouldn’t have been considered terminal at such a point in their diagnosis. Used to be it was only automatic at Stage 4b. The two I have are Stage 3 but both are on what the panels call their 2nd failed remission.”

“That’s rough. They’re … not kids?”

“No. I already told them I’m not pediatric certified. My referrals are coming from Gerontological Services. One lady also has dementia. She’s a sweety. Her husband has cancer as well though not as advanced. No family beyond each other. No savings. The state has already seized every other asset of value in their estate. Difficult situation.”

Worried about her I asked, “You talking to your group?”

She gave me a one-armed hug. “You know the service says it’s mandatory; it keeps turnover low. I’m fine. But pray for your Dad. He’s getting more hours but only because he survived another round of layoffs and got essential worker status. Some of the younger men are jealous because they’ve got families to take care of. His car was keyed and two of his tires have been slashed. They increased security in the parking lot because he wasn’t the only one but now Hershel has started to drop him off at work when their shifts intersect, saves on gas.”

“Daddy has a family too! How dare they blame him for something out of his control.” Before I could say anything Daddy and Zane came up and I could hear them sniffing before I saw them. “Oh! My muffins!!”

Nothing was burnt and everyone dug in. Daddy said, “Pretty good Sister.”

“I would have had something better if you’d let me know you were coming. A dessert at least. And you have to go back tonight?! But this is the first time I’ve seen Mom since August, and you too Daddy.”

“I know Baby Girl but …,” he stopped and turned troubled eyes to Mom.

Zane, picking up on the undercurrents said, “Why don’t I step outside and …”

Mom gave a definite, “No.”

Daddy agreed. “Zane you might as well hear this too. See what you make of it. You’ve been more than fair in your dealings, and I wouldn’t feel right about not warning you.”

At that ominous statement Mom said, “We’ll take some of the dried food with us but we will leave everything else here.”

“But …”

“Sydney.” At my cease she continued. “I want you to keep doing everything that you can to fill the cellar up. When was the last time you made a major grocery run?”

“Two weeks ago but it was to the Mennonite place. It was closing and then when the woman saw the color of my money she sent me out back to her husband and that’s where I got those hams and shoulders and those cockerels out in the new pen.”

Mom nodded. “That’s something you just won’t find in the city. Herschel is taking part of his pay in leftovers from the restaurant. I make soups and stews up from that and can it with the jars I kept. It gives us some reserve. And so long as you can make do, I would avoid grocery stores. Not that you’ll find much. Shelves are getting very bare of selection and thinly stocked of what variety they do have.”

Zane added, “Prices are bad too. If Max hadn’t been helping Syd I’d never had thought to look for groceries in some of the places that she’s gone. I got Gran and Mom to that Mennonite store just in time. I’m taking them to Dog Belly tomorrow.”

“Syd has said so much about Max I wish we could meet him.”

“Syd has the touch. I’ve never seen him warm up to anyone like he has her. Usually he’s uh … er …”

Daddy said, “Like the rest of you were at that age is he?”

Zane slowly grinned and said, “And then some.”

There was general laughter and then Daddy sighed. “Sydney, Baby Girl, you’re going to think we’re being hard but … well … the reason your Mom and I made this trip is because we don’t want you coming home for the holidays.”

Shocked like they’d suddenly slapped my face I gasped, “Wh … what?!”

“We need you to stay here and keep things … ready.”

“But …”

Before I could help it I felt my eyes water and tears slide down my cheeks. Zane looked around the table and then asked quietly, “You think things are that close to popping?” Daddy gave Zane a hard look until Zane said, “I’d be crazy not to figure out what is going on. Syd keeps her lips locked tight but I’ve got eyes and I see how hard she’s working. Junior brings home gossip he hears from the tourist set, Josh too, and Annie has the pulse of the local businesses. Old folks around town have been feeling things in their bones for a few years now and I’ve still got buddies that are active duty. Add it all up together? It ain’t pretty.”

“You got that right Son. Your family?”

“Soon as it cools off we’ll be hunting. Gran was a canning fool until her knee gave out. Mom and Belle help too but Belle isn’t what you would call a self-starter and needs … encouraging.”

Thoughtfully Daddy asked, “You up for hunting Baby Girl?”

“It’s been two years Daddy. I’ll need to practice.”

Zane snorted, “You already impress Max with your snake shooting skills.”

“Snakes?!” Mom yelped.

I said, “In the wood pile. They tore down the blown up house and ran a bunch of rattlers this way with all of the big equipment squashing up the ground over there.”

“Sydney …”

Still sniffling away the shock they’d dealt me I told her, “Don’t worry Mom. I’m careful and always wear gloves.”

“Well I should hope so.”

Zane said, “If she can get a license, she can come with us. Josh has a friend that has a Health Department certification where we can process and tag the venison. We also try and pick up a feral pig or two. Do you remember my Uncle Hightower?”

“Hi? I sure do. We played together as boys. Knew him better than your father to be honest. What about him?”

“He bought Gran’s daddy’s place from the family that got it at the auction years ago and has moved back. He’s built what he calls a sausage factory and makes all sorts. If I ask he’ll show me how. Even if Syd can’t get her license for whatever reason, if she’ll help process we can do things by shares.”

Daddy looked at me and asked, “Syd?”

I shrugged and then trying to get into the spirit of things said, “I’m game. Or I can barter a share or something. Junior says he can’t keep the dry mixes I make on the shelves. The made-over t-shirts sell pretty good too. So do the scarves, scuffies, and braided necklaces.”

Daddy said, “Well then you two work that out between you.”

It went on from there with Zane leaving then Mom and Daddy leaving a couple of hours after that. We talked about future plans for the cabin, but they would barely respond with half answers when I asked about what was going on with the family. I freely admit I cried and cried after they left. I tried to understand their reasoning, but I felt more alone rather than less.

Part of it was because Mom pulled me to the side while Daddy unloaded the trailer and then loaded some supplies from the cellar into the car’s trunk. “You haven’t asked about Kevin … or Dan.”

Uncomfortably I responded, “I haven’t known how.”

She patted my hand. “Half the time I don’t know how to ask Herschel about Kevin myself but I still force myself to.”

“Ok then, how’s Kevin.”

“Not good Honey. They finally moved him to the minimum security side of the facility but the damage has already been done. Herschel says he has tattoos and looks much harder. He’s definitely not a boy any longer.”

“He wasn’t a boy when the accident happened. He’s the same age as … anyway, he wasn’t a boy and had no business acting like he was still one. That was Aunt Rhonda’s doing, tying him to her like that, getting in the middle of every serious relationship he almost had.”

“Well …” I nodded knowing there were just some things Mom could never say aloud. Then she asked, “Do you want to hear about Dan?”

I winced. “Mom …”

“Honey I know you were hurt but you can’t hide from reality.”

“I’m not hiding. It’s just been going on two years.”

“And you still haven’t even acted like you were interested in dating anyone new.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way but do you really think Daddy would have wanted me to?”

She sighed. “Sydney, don’t deflect, it isn’t healthy.”

“Honestly …” I stopped and tried to see things from her side and put it the way she would understand it. “Mom, I’ve just needed to … to focus on keeping my priorities straight and not having a pity party. Dan … hurt me. And all that came after it, the way people acted and probably still act if they’re given the chance … that … that hurt me too. But it also woke me up to some stuff. I’ve just need to, like I said, focus on things that move me forward and grow me up in the right direction. I’m not that old. There’s time. And when I do really feel like dealing with Daddy’s issues … I’ll be in a better, stronger place to do it.”

Mom looked at me then gave me a hug. “I love you Syd. Just remember that we don’t want to see you hurt or stunted by what’s been thrown at you.”

“Too late for the hurt part but I’ve dealt with it. As for the stunted part … I don’t want that either, so I’ll go as slow as it takes and wait for what feels right. And so far, nothing has.”

She let it go at that, but her eyes said there were a lot of things she wanted to say and maybe not all of them I was ready or willing to hear. I let her look slide. Sometimes moms are just going to be moms. But I still couldn’t shake the sadness of not being with my family at the coming holidays … or the anger that they were the ones taking that decision out of my hands in a very intentional way regardless of their motivations being the best of intentions.

 

[Kathy in FL]

Chapter Nineteen

Dog Belly was packed both with people and with vendors. After a slow start that had worried the local economy, autumn tourist season here in October was finally in full swing. However, Mrs. June and Mrs. Slowthower both shook their heads and said, “Honey, this is nothing. Last year this time people were parking up and down the sides of the highway ‘cause the parking lot was full. This year the parking lot is only three-quarters full and the vendors are looking worried. Maybe good for us maybe not, we’ll see. Max!”

Max winced at the bellowed call but politely answered, “Yes ma’am?”

“You stick with Sydney and help her out. There’s a few that like to set their thumb on the scale.”

Max looked at me but managed to keep a straight face until we had separated from the rest of them. “You gonna let anyone cheat you Syd?”

“You remember what happened the last time some guy tried to cheat us?”

Max nodded. “I reckon he does too,” he answered with a big grin.

“I reckon he does at that,” I agreed with a satisfied grin.

***********

Apples, snap beans, collards, grapes, okra, peanuts, pears, pecans, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and turnips. The back of my pickup was loaded, but not with just fruits and veggies. I went a little nuts in the stalls selling plants. Not regular plants but exotics that would have to be extra careful of and grow them in the sunroom. Calamondin oranges, citrumelo (house-sized citrus that is a cross between an orange and a pumelo grapefruit), kumquats, lemons, limes, sunquats (a lemon/kumquat hybrid), Tahitian orange, tangerine, acerola, Australian beach cherry, miniature bananas, dragon fruit, dwarf pomegranate, fig, guava, June plum, miracle berry, olive, papaya, passionflower, peanut butter fruit, pineapple guava, start fruit, tree tomato (aka Tamarillo), and yerba mate.

I also bought some clearance trees and plants that I plan to plant in the spring after the last frost. A couple of raggedy pots of ostrich ferns, teaberry, cornelian cherry (actually a dogwood), crabapple, elderberry, hawthorn, highbush cranberry, quince, serviceberry, mulberry, redbud, rosa rugosa, spice bush, lilac, black walnuts, chestnuts, sunchokes, pawpaws … and I bought a whole croaker sack of daylily roots.

One of the surprises of the day was meeting Josh. Max and I were making our way along one of the aisles when a man grabbed him. Max was just in time to laugh, “Josh!” but the man in question saw me slip the sharpened nail file back under the wide sweatbands I was wearing on my left wrist. Normally those bands are so heavy plastic grocery sacks don’t leave a dent in my arm when I’m shopping but they are handy for other things as well.

“You gonna introduce me to your date?” he said to Max.

“Aw Josh!”

“Well?”

“Fine. Syd this is Josh. Josh this is Syd. Are Tommy and Melissa here?”

“Sorry Buddy, not my weekend.”

Max sighed. “Figures.”

Josh sighed too. “Yeah, it does. But …” He pulled from behind his back a large hot dog. “But don’t tell Zane … or Mom.”

As Josh suddenly disappeared into the crowd I asked, “Am I going to get in trouble if you eat that?”

“Naw. Josh was just teasing. Zane would try to get a bite then take half and Mom would try to eat the other half. They’re crazy for dawgs fully loaded.”

“No offense but … ugh. That thing looks like a three-day streak of indigestion.”

Max just grinned and took his first bite.

Another surprise of the day was to find a couple of new stalls that were basically discount grocers and feed stores. They were doing a banging business. My flea market cart was full to bursting and I still had to figure out how to get the trees to the truck and I was irritated that I wouldn’t be able to take advantage like I wanted to.

“Bet Zane would help out,” Max said sharing my frustration as my deal finding had become a game to him.

I jumped when I felt hands on my shoulder and a voice right in my ear. “Someone taking my name in vain?”

“Geez Zane. Scare me next time why don’t you.” I saw Max grinning and realized he had known his brother was behind me the whole time. I looked at him and glared. “You need your arm frogged?”

Max was unrepentant and laughed, the sound of it finally less rusty and unused.

I shook my head and asked Zane, “So you can help?”

“Let me have your keys and I’ll bring your truck around so you can get your birds some feed. While that’s being loaded you can throw the other stuff on there too.

**********

“Are … uh … are you sure you know what you’re doing with all these plants Syd?” Zane asked after following me back to the cabin and helping me unload the truck.

“I’m going to transplant them into nice terracotta pots and put them in the sunroom.”

“There’s still not much heat in that space. If these things get too cold …”

“The stove in there is going to help on the coldest nights and most of the varieties I got here do have some cold hardiness to them. I know some of these may not work out but I’m hoping most of them do.”

“Fine, none of my business anyway, but if you are putting all this in the sunroom, what do you need the outdoor greenhouse for?”

“I’m not sure what my parents have planned for it.”

“So the whole greenhouse thing was something your parents wanted and not you?”

“Not exactly. The sunroom was my idea, but Daddy wound up liking it too after I showed him some plans that I had found in a book. The greenhouse is something Momma always wanted but never had time for even if there had been money for it. Now the greenhouse is more of a coldframe type thing the way we reworked it … step down into it but it’s well-drained because of the slope of the hill … and that means we needed less Plexi and Lexan. Daddy really ate that up.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way Syd but the way your dad pinches a penny I’m having a hard time seeing it. He got a little green around the gills there for a minute.”

“And then laughed and said it was a good idea,” I reminded him. “It was actually Mom that winced when I told them about roll downs that I wanted to put on the sun room. But Daddy OK’d it – and Mom did too – when I found those roll downs in that scrap yard. And in case I never told you … thanks for believing in the craziness of the plan to help me achieve what I was trying to do. I could envision the tracks the door would slide down but I couldn’t quite figure out how to make it work without getting in the way of the rest of the construction. I almost wrecked everything.”

The top of Zane’s ears were a little pink at the praise but he smiled and said, “Next time though let me do the measuring. And you buy your … er … accessories before we start building. Deal?”

“Deal,” I said with a grin.

 

[Kathy in FL]

Chapter Twenty

Not feeling so hot. I'll live but doggone I should not have had that second bowl of chili and that is a righteous fact. The day started out fairly decent despite the heavy mist I drove up in to get to church. But then something shifted inside me, like a feeling that wanted to be heard but that was too incoherent to be understood. The mist started to make me think of that Stephen King story and it is one of the creepiest things I have ever read ... not the movie, the movie was awful just like most of his book-to-movies are. I'm talking about the original where we never find out what the ending was but you got the feeling it wasn't a happy one. Yuck, yuck, yuck.

So I was a little creeped out already and then the stop at the gas station didn't help. That scummy guy from across the lake was there and he had a friend with him that looked like he was even worse news. They both look so normal and yet they give off slimy vibes. I have mentioned them to a couple of people casually and most haven't got a clue what I am talking about. Weird? Those guys? No, they say. Just because one of them hasn't got the fashion sense to leave the 70s doesn't mean they're weird. I must just be letting my youth get ahead of my commonsense. Geez. Why I can't remember to keep my "feelings" to myself is beyond me.

It pushed my buttons that one of them had the nerve to start reaching into my car to snag a muffin from the basket of them I had fixed for the dinner on the grounds we were having. I'd worked long and hard to get the recipe for those pizza muffins just right and I wasn't about to let some weasely, greasy, nasty, skanky sex fiend have one. Pardon for my insult to weasels and skanks everywhere.

The day went a little better once I was at church. It was nice to be wanted and welcomed somewhere. It offset my suspicions and feelings of hurt at my parents basically telling me that the only use they had for me was as a house sitter for just in case the end of the world as we know it starts to happen. Actually I know they didn't really say that it is just that is the way what they said made me feel. I just do not understand why I can't come home for at least a day ... Thanksgiving at least. One day. Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day. I don't even have to stay the whole day if they don't want. It doesn't have to mean we do anything fancy, I just miss them. Gotta stop thinking about it or I'm going to cry again and that is a waste of water, time, and energy. It is what it is just like me lying here with a hot water bottle on my stomach is what it is.

The sermon was on Job. It felt like a message ... or maybe a reminder. Although this one was more about persevering through the tempests tossed our way in life than about forgiveness. During the sermon I noticed a lot of people really saying amen and nodding in a few places.

And shock of all shocks Zane was there; not just him but the whole Slowthower clan. What shocked me even more was when I was nearly barreled into in the vestibule and turned to find Max. We'd spent a lot of time together and I think he likes me despite me being a "fee-male" but to have him hug me just about threw me for a loop.

He tried to play it off, but he looked a little rough around the edges like he'd been manhandled by too many "fee-males". His hair looked like it had been intentionally cemented in place with enough extra-strength hair mousse that it would take a jack hammer to get the locks unstuck. "Hey! You wanna sit with us today?"

"Who is us?"

He swallowed and seemed to have trouble breathing. "They're all here. All of them. Grams got in a mood and told everyone off and said if they didn't start coming to church that they could all move off. Josh is the only one excused and that's because he has a job taking some hunters out. You ... you gotta ... I mean ..."

"Breathe Max before you pass out. I'll sit with you so long as there is room and Mrs. Slowthower doesn't have a problem with it. First let’s go ask Mrs. June where she wants these."

Max finally noticed the cloth covered basket I was carrying and tried to peak under. "Whatcha got?"

"What else? Muffins."

"What kind?"

"Pizza."

"Huh?"

"I said pizza."

"Naw. Pizza muffins?"

"Yep. Want one or do you think it will spoil your appetite. Maybe you shouldn't. You don't look like you feel too ..."

I smiled when a hand went into the basket and took out a muffin. He started eating it like he was afraid I would snatch it back. I had a hard time not laughing. Max being Max was as good as medicine for me and the last of my mullygrubbs disappeared ... at least for the moment.

"Got one of those for me?"

I turned and found Zane looking unusually cleaned up and neat. Something must have shown on my face because he grimaced. "Yeah, I know. At least I avoided the spraycrete Grams put in Max and Junior's hair. She's not a big fan of what she calls the hippie hairstyles that we normally have."

"It's not the hair," I said trying not to smile. "At least not the hair on your head. It's ... well ... now I know why you don't shave all the time to the skin."

Max grinned and said, "Yep, Zane has dimples. They are the bane of his existence."

I had to bite my lips and just nodded. Zane sighed and looked heavenward and then did his best to shuffle us through the much more crowed-than-normal church. I got waylaid by the church ladies who directed me to put the muffins in the back building. By the time I came back the choir was already in the loft and the piano and organ were tuning up to play the welcome. Max made so bold as to leave the pew and come get me.

During the hugging and handshaking welcome chorus I told Max, "Afraid I was going to slip my leash?"

"I just wanted to make sure you would sit by me." I glanced his way to see he was upset about something.

"What's wrong?" I whispered.

"Annie and Gran are getting into it. Over me. I wish they wouldn't. I'm fine. I'm not like ... like him."

"Him who?"

"You know ... him."

I glanced over to where he was trying not to look and I saw an emaciated and shaky man with facial sores and a really odd twitch. I looked at Max then back at him and finally made the connection.

"No Max, you aren't like him." I gave him a one-armed hug and then the song ended and we all sat down. I moved my arm - I didn't want to embarrass him - but every so often I leaned against him a bit and let him know I thought he was ok.

Through the sermon Max relaxed more and more but at the end of the doxology he tensed way over the top again as his biological father quickly made his way over. "M ... m m m Max. Wanna go out and have some fun?"

I stepped in front of Max and said, "How do you do? I'm Syd."

"Uh ..."

"I don't believe we've ever met but Max works for me every now and again and today he promised to help me with the basket of muffins I brought for dinner on the grounds. I hope you are going to stay and sample some of the food."

The man unconsciously began to pick at one of the sores on his face making me want to shudder but I didn't because Max was doing it for me behind my back.

I did my best to persuade the man and he nervously agreed to stay for a minute but then he needed Max because he'd promised to meet some friends.

"Really?" Zane said coming into the conversation. "Who?"

"They live on the lodge side of the lake. Nice guys. Said we could use their deck to do some fishing. Then they have this cool set up in their house with all these games and stuff. Max loves that stuff."

Zane scowled. "Max actually doesn't like those games. He prefers being outside because he spends enough time on the computer for school."

"Er ..."

Concerned I asked, "Which friends are we talking about? I know everyone on the lake that is left. And there are only a couple of people still on the Lodge side."

"Just ... just some friends."

"Which ones? Like I said, I know them all. And can walk out onto my own deck and see them all. I'll be able to see Max ... and your friends."

He got really nervous and started getting belligerent. "I do not need to be watched to spend time with my own son."

"Who is talking about watching you? I said I could see you ... and your friends. Not much goes unnoticed around the lake. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I wouldn't be the only one seeing what is going on. We kind of get into each other's business over there. Sound carries that sort of thing ... especially now that things have cleared out so much. Or maybe it is the sheriff's patrol that has kept things quiet. They're out there a lot."

He turned and stumbled away and I rounded on Zane. "Zane, this is your family's business but ..."

"Max isn't going anywhere with Terrance," he said and I noticed he had his hand on Max's shoulder like he was staking a claim. "Something is up, and I need you to stay with Max. Can you do that?"

I looked at Max and he stepped closer to me. "You betcha. Max is way too important to me. He's not going to get away."

Max's eyes getting a little wetter than they normally were struck a chord in me and I suddenly knew without a doubt that anyone that tried to take him off was going to get a royal Bohemian butt whooping. I didn't let my temper out often as it is unnecessarily destructive and tended to burn my bridges but if my feeling was true this time I would let it have full voice to keep Terrance from taking Max to spend time with a couple of scum bags.

 

[Kathy in FL]

Chapter Twenty-One


"C'mon Max. Let's go get you something to eat."

"I ... I don't think I'm hungry," Max said trying not to show how upset he was. Heck he was more than upset, he was scared. Something didn't feel right.

"Okay. I'm a little off my feed myself. Let's get out of this crowd though. I feel ... twitchy. I shouldn't, most folks seem nice, even the ones I don't know that well but ... I just ... I don't know ... feel twitchy."

He grabbed my hand and almost pulled me out of the crowd and off down a hall behind the choir loft and then leaned against the wall and slid down it.

"Max? You wanna talk about it?"

"You know don't you. You know."

"Maybe. Maybe not. I'm not going to put words in your mouth. So if you feel like it, tell me what I know."

He put his head on his knees. "I don't want to go with him. Sometimes ... sometimes he takes me places and the people there ... I just ... don't ... want ... to ... go."

"Max," I said sliding down the opposite wall despite the gypsy skirt I was wearing. "Max has your dad ..."

"He's not my dad. He's not. I don't have a dad."

"Okay, relax. We'll call him ... er ..."

"Annie calls him the sperm donor. Grams and Gran both hate it when she does. I know what that means though."

"Er ... uh ... well, it's ... it's the truth but let’s pick another title for him. Just call him Terrance for now."

"Fine, but don't call him my dad because he isn't. And I don't know why everyone keeps thinking that him and me have to spend time together. It don't change him and it don't change me."

Carefully I said, "But it does change you doesn't it Max. It ... makes you feel all crumpled up inside. It makes you change the way you are with people because you don't know whether they are going to be like him or not."

Max turned his head briefly and looked at me. "See. I told you that you knew. How come you can understand and no one else does?"

"Because when I was fourteen there was this jerk that tried things with me. Dirty things. I was ... unprepared on how to deal with a person like that. For a little bit I wondered what was wrong with me and thought it might be my fault until I finally got up the courage to tell someone and they helped to set me straight. I told on him but not before he'd already hurt my friend's little sister like that. Now she's really messed up ... first from being a victim of such a creep and now by victimizing herself and passing along the bad things to other people to suffer with. Eventually you have to say no more and try and do what you can to stop what ..."

"Uh uh ... not him. He never. But some of the people he hangs with are ... they're like that. They tell Terrance to do stuff and they'll give him drugs. Then he went to prison for a while but now he's back because there isn't enough room at the prison to keep him and he's worse than he was before. He keeps trying to get me to go places with him and I just don't want to. He behaves when there are other people around but if he takes me off I just know ..."

"Ok ... its' ok."

"No Syd. He steals things to sell to buy his drugs with." He was almost hyperventilating. "What if he ... what if he sells me?"

"Are you having a feeling about this or has he said something?"

"I heard him talking to his friends on his phone. It sounded like they wouldn't be friends with him unless he brought me along like he was supposed to."

"Are you sure of what you heard?"

Max shifted angrily. "You don't believe me."

"Did I say that? I just asked how sure you are of what you heard. If I'm going to the mat for you I need as much info as I can get."

"You ...? You believe me?"

"Max you have never given me any reason not to believe you. Plus, we have our agreement about always being honest with each other."

Suddenly he scooted over beside me and begged, "Don't let him take me Syd. Please don't let him take me."

 

[Kathy in FL]

Chapter Twenty-Two

“C’mon, let’s go find Zane.”

“No. He’ll just think I’m being a baby … or telling stories so I don’t have to do something I don’t want to.”

“Give him a chance. Zane seems like a reasonable person, certainly deals fairly with me and there’s been a few times I haven’t exactly been as polite and nice as I should have been. As a matter of fact, he seems to know just the right thing to say to help me jump start my commonsense when it wants to go on vacation. So … I think he’s worth a chance. Don’t you?”

“I … I guess.”

That’s when I looked over Max’s head to see Terrance come stumbling down the hall in a rush. “Yo Max, there you are son. We need to get or we’re going to be late.”

Max almost panicked and ran but instead he stopped behind me. I reached into my sweater pocket and took hold of the nail file I carry. Daddy had made it and given it to me when I started classes at the university. It really was a nail file – something I needed because my nails tended to split and snag on things – but it also had a sharp point and made a good defensive weapon.

I told Terrance, “We need to go talk to Zane first.”

“No! We need to leave now.”

As calmly and reasonably as I could I said, “No, I’m sorry. But Max is not leaving with you.”

Keeping Max behind me we started to back up towards the door we’d come through. When Terrance rushed forward I pushed Max out and through the door and then slammed it shut. I had no idea what I was going to do but I knew that Max would run to Zane and that he’d be safe.

“You can’t keep me from my son! He’s mine!”

“He isn’t your son. You’re just the sperm donor. If you wanted to be a father you’d get off the drugs and fix whatever your damage is.”

“You’re an uppity bitch, just like Jake said. That you need lessoning.”

“Let me guess. Jakey-poo is one of those perverts on the Lodge side of the lake. Which one? The one lost in the 70s or the new guy? Oh, and for the record? The cops already know about their sick habits and are keeping an eye on them.”

“You don’t know nothing.”

“I know enough to know you are just as sick as they are and you’ll sell Max – or any other kid for that matter – to them at the cost of your life. I’ve seen what that does to people. It ain’t happening to Max. Absolutely the total end to this discussion.”

“You … you are making up lies. Impugning my reputation. You are also interfering with parental custody. I’m going to swear out a complaint against you.”

“One, they aren’t lies. Two, it is impossible to impugn a reputation like the one you have. And three, you haven’t got any parental custody because you lost your parental rights when Max was adopted by Annie’s mother. Four? Do you really want to start this fight? Because I will give you one. Whatever it takes, I’m on Max’s side.”

All of a sudden Terrance’s eyes got all big and round and I was thinking booya for my big and bad self only I was unceremoniously picked up from behind and then set down outside the same door I’d pushed Max through. I was blinking at the closed door trying to figure out what had just happened when someone tapped my shoulder.

“Your mouth is hanging open.”

I tried to look all innocent. “Oh … uh … Lawrence … Uncle Red. Hi.”

They both snorted. Lawrence muttered, “Please let them have enough self-control that I don’t have to get a call on a domestic here at church.”

“Oh no … I was trying to keep Mrs. Slowthower and Mrs. June …”

“Girly Girl, who do you think told them boys to go fotch ol’ Terrance to the back door and see him on his way? I think Birdy has finally decided that though she loves her son she has an obligation to her grandson.”

It took me a moment to remember that Mrs. June’s first name was Birdy but it didn’t help much with my overall confusion. “So … er … they believe Max?”

“Zane was already on it and Lawrence here had placed a call to have someone drive by that place on the lake when Max comes running. They thought he was having an asthma attack the way he was wheezing but Zane must have understood enough and so did the two ol’ gals. They told the boys to fotch him out of the church and they weren’t particular where he went but it best be far and away from Max.”

Lawrence finally asked with a sigh, “I gotta ask, are you carrying?”

“Carrying what?”

He looked at me, then looked some more and then slumped his shoulders. “Are you telling me you don’t have a gun on you? And exactly what did you have that you were going into a standoff with a potential problem like Terrance?”

Guiltily I slowly pulled the nail file from my pocket. “Daddy made it for me. Please don’t take it.”

“A … a nail file?”

“Yes Sir. My nails chip real easy and …”

Uncle Red said, “Hush up Girly Girl. You put that right back in your pocket and you don’t say what you might or might not have been going to do with it.” He sighed again. “I’m going to have to mention this to your father.”

I nodded. “I’m going to that’s for sure. Who would have thought there would be perverts living in Harmon of all places? Do they own that house they are staying in or are they caretakers like me?”

Uncle Red says, “Well aren’t you cool about it.”

“No sir, I’m red hot. I’ve seen what those type of people leave in their wake and it ain’t happening to Max and that’s final. I know I’m in trouble but I’d do it again … and again … and again. He’s my friend.”

Suddenly a small buffalo – or at least it felt like one – smacked into me from behind. “Geez Max. I know I occasionally act like one, but do you think I look like a crash dummy?”

He wouldn’t turn loose but turned mean eyes towards the two men I was with and I knew I needed to calm him down. “Yo Max. Actions have consequences. I chose to do what I did. Look at me if you are mad, not at them. They’re doing their job. C’mon look at me. It’s all right. And it’s gonna stay all right, even if things get a little crazy. OK?”

“They’re going to take you away.”

It was Lawrence who drawled, “Boy, what gave you that kinda crazy idea?”

“You’re going to call her dad and he’s going to get mad and make her leave.”

I finally got Max to let go enough that I could draw a full breath. “Whoa there. Give my dad some credit. He’s a class act and the real deal. Sure he’s going to get mad. Probably some at me but mostly at Terrance. And he’s right to be mad. I did something stupid.”

“Stupid?”

“Get that out of your mind Max. It wasn’t stupid about me trying to protect you. What was stupid was that I didn’t have a clue how I was going to do it. Terrance may be a meth head but he’s more than a little unbalanced and definitely bigger than me … at least in height and reach. I should have run out that door with you. That was the smart thing. Instead I let my anger make me stupid. I have a feeling Zane is going to read me a righteous lecture too. And he’ll be just as right as Daddy will be. My head is for something more than a place to stick my hair. I didn’t use good sense and only did half of what I should have done. I could have gotten hurt and that would have hurt you more than you already are hurting. You get what I’m trying to say?”

He wouldn’t answer but I could tell he was thinking about it. I saw Max’s grandmothers talking to a man I knew was a church elder. He was nodding and the woman with him gave them both a hug. They were about to come over but Zane got there first. As soon as he opened his mouth I said, “I’ll take the lecture but you can do it in private. I’ve made enough of a public spectacle of myself. And Max doesn’t need to get riled up any more than he already is. Max why don’t you …”

“No.”

“Beg your pardon?”

“No,” he repeated and refused to let go.

Mrs. Slowthower Sr. and Mrs. Slowthower Jr. followed Mrs. June into the middle of things weren’t quite sure what to make of Max. It was Max’s … well his mother but grandmother too … who said, “Wellllll, Max if you want to stay with Sydney you can but you need to let her deal with a few things. Zane for one. Your brother is about to pop his cork.”

Zane growled, “Mom …”

Mrs. June put her two cents in and said, “Sydney, I am sooo sorry.”

She looked like she wanted to cry but couldn’t find the water to waste on her son. I told her, “It’s not your responsibility Mrs. June. Terrance has issues and is choosing not to … uh … deal with those issues in a constructive way. I’m sorry that I usurped you ladies’ authority over Max. I … I think I’ve just gotten a whole lot attached to him.”

Mrs. Slowthower Jr., who always struck me as a kind of wishy washy woman, looked at me deeply then nodded. “Whatever it is I approve. You understand Max. That’s what he needs. He don’t get enough of it at home. Max, let’s go get Sydney and Zane a plate of food because if we don’t get over there right quick they aren’t going to get nothing.”

Max relented but still objected with, “But …”

“Zane isn’t going to eat her or drive her off. He just needs to say his peace before his ulcer starts acting up.”

All of them left and feeling like there was something strange going on that I didn’t understand I looked at Zane and the first thing that came out of my mouth was, “You have an ulcer?”

“Yes,” he bit off. “And Mom is right … I am going to … I … Dammit, what were you thinking?!”

I saw Uncle Red and Lawrence walk off looking satisfied. Instead of answering Zane directly I told him, “Don’t curse in church, it’s rude and kinda blasphemous. And leave me some skin, I’m gonna need it when Daddy finds out.”

Zane’s eyebrows came down and he gave me a hard look. “You are not going to make me feel sorry for you, not even if you cry.”

“Just because you caught me in a couple of weak moments does not mean that I cry all the time. I know I messed up, I’ll take what’s coming to me. Besides, I have enough self-respect that I don’t want people feeling sorry for me for anything.”

“Listen you …”

“No, you listen … or I mean I’ll listen in a few minutes when you really get started. I’m serious, I don’t need you to start feeling sorry for me; I’ve got enough problems as it is. You go ahead and vent and rant and whatever else you need to do so you’ll feel better. Then I’m going to call Daddy before he hears from too many other …”

I winced as my phone vibrated hard. When I saw who it was I sighed, “Too late.”

 

[ydderf]

Thanks Kathy

 

[Sammy55]

Found this one while waiting for new chapters on the couple dozen other stories. Great story!! Thank you!! But need MOAR!

 

[Kathy in FL]

Chapter Twenty-Three

“Was your dad really mad? I’ll call and say it was my fault. Terrance is my father.”

I looked up and Max stood there with a second bowl of venison chili – the pastor’s wife’s specialty – and I didn’t have the heart to say no to him. I took the bowl and started eating it. Even had I known the dire consequences I probably would have eaten it anyway. Once Max figures out how to use those puppy dog eyes for something other than glaring at girls no “fee-male” is going to stand a chance. The idea of the look on his face had I told him that almost made me smile. Almost.

“Was he?” Max asked again.

I sighed. “Stop saying it was your fault. It wasn’t. And I thought we’d already agreed that Terrance isn’t your father. He may have been part of the biological soup that got you growing to begin with but that’s biology, not fatherhood. Take it from me, when you have a real dad you’ll know it even if there are days when they are less … er … fatherly.”

“So he was mad. How mad?”

“Well, he wasn’t happy but …” I had to stop because I was still confused at Daddy’s reaction. Putting the puzzle aside for the time being I said, “Basically I got a little chewed out for being stupid like I figured I would be … but not as bad as I expected to. When I lived at home he would go bonkers over the smallest thing. One time in high school I lost driving privileges for a month just because I came home with a quarter tank of gas.”

“Huh?”

I snorted. “Daddy has this rule that you never let your motor get below a half tank of fuel. Doesn’t matter what it is … car, chainsaw, lawn mower, boat, you name it. It is like one of the Ten Commandments of our house and he was Moses. Even when he and Mom were here I caught him jiggling the fuel canister I have out in the barn. I even saw him pick up the chainsaw and slosh the fuel around in it and count the number of 3-cycle oil jugs that I have. And yet this time …” I shrugged. “Maybe … maybe he … oh I don’t know. Maybe Uncle Red told him that Zane would do his chewing for him and decided to cut me some slack this one time.”

“You don’t sound too happy. Did you want him to be mad?”

“Of course not. I just knew that he would be because I was kinda mad at myself for making the mistake of … well I’m not hashing it out all over again. I know what my mistake was … heck I’m sure the whole church heard Zane blessing me out … Daddy just didn’t react the way I expected him to. I suppose when you turn twenty you gotta stop expecting … what are you getting all bug-eyed at.”

“I thought you were nineteen.”

“I was. Now I’m twenty. What’s that got to do with the price of beans?”

“When?”

“When what?”

“When did you turn twenty?”

“The other day. Why?”

“Wow. Is that why your parents came to see you? Zane didn’t say nothin’.”

“No, they went to lay a wreath on my brother’s grave and … and came by to tell me some stuff.”

“You didn’t get a birthday party? I thought girls are all into that stuff.”

It was a question that I’d heard numerous times since I was little. “Different families do different things differently. We had a funny thing happen in our family. Mom, Sam, and I all had the same birthday and Daddy’s was a couple of days later. Used to be we would have one big party.”

“Why’d you stop?”

“I guess it reminded us too much that Sam wasn’t there.”

He looked like he was thinking hard. “Sooooo, everybody just stopped having birthdays because your brother died?”

“Partly but it’s kinda silly the way you say it.”

“But I thought you said Sam was a nice brother.”

“He was.”

“So he wouldn’t want you to give up your birthday and cake and all that stuff.”

He got the first smile out of me since Zane had gotten through chewing on me. “Like I said, that was only part of the reason why we just kind of changed the way we did things. Right after the attack that killed Sam and those other soldiers the news people – or people who thought they were news people – wouldn’t leave us alone. Then some loonie got the idea to contact all the families of the dead soldiers on the soldier’s birthday for a how-do-you-feel-now retrospective thing. It just got to be too much for all of us. Plus, things were getting hard financially around the house and then in high school I went into public school and money had to be spent on that. It isn’t that my parents don’t recognize my birthday … it’s that the recognition is saved for the big ones like when I was old enough to take my driving test and then when I turned eighteen.”

“But turning … never mind.”

He shut up so quickly and scowled that I thought he was upset with me but then a shadow fell across us and I looked up and back to find Junior standing there. “Time to go Max.”

“Stuff it.”

Surprised I yelped, “Max!”

It took a little bit of persuading but Max finally gave up his anger in favor of going with his mother … not Annie … oh geez why do things have to be so ever loving confusing. Mrs. Slowthower Jr., Annie, and Belle were going to go by a friend’s home that were looking to get rid of some of their chickens and apparently Max was to give his opinion of them. He asked me to come along but I explained I had laundry to do … fee-male laundry. He lit out fast enough after that but I could tell he still wasn’t his normal self.

Annie stopped and I looked at her as the others walked away. Trying to defuse the tension I felt coming from her I asked with half a smile, “You going to lecture me too?”

She snorted. “I don’t know why I should. It never did me no good. Generally sent me in the opposite direction if you want to know the truth. I just wanted to say thanks. Just ‘cause I couldn’t stand to raise him doesn’t mean that I wanna see him hurt or abused. Mom has done the best she can but Max is just about as hard headed as I was at his age. Maybe if I’d had someone like you I wouldn’t have felt so cross all the time. You’re good for him. Even I can see that.”

Embarrassed at the unexpected compliment I answered, “He’s good for me.”

She nodded. “I can see that too. Which is why … look, don’t get your feelings hurt over the way Zane acted. He’s protective of Max. What happened … I think it shook him.”

“I don’t think it did any of us any good. Do you think Mrs. June will …”

“She’s done with Terrance unless he goes through rehab … and he won’t and it’s stupid to wish for it. He’s a heartbreaker, always was, always will be, one way or the other. He may give up meth – which I seriously doubt – but he won’t give up the other stuff he uses. I don’t know why he’s like that but he is. She’ll love him but I think he’s used up his last chance without some serious changes. But look … if Zane doesn’t bring Max for a while … well I think he’s worried about those perverts.”

Sadly I said, “I’ve already thought the same thing. I’ll just figure out some other way for Max and I to see each other … at least until Max … well he’ll outgrow me. Boys always do.”

“Sounds like that’s experience talking.”

I shrugged. “I used to do a lot of babysitting. Almost became a Nanny. My parents had other ideas though. Max will be too old pretty soon and he’ll want boys his own age to play with. I didn’t realize he was only nine when I first met him.”

“He’s big for his age. Was at birth too which was the only thing that kept him alive until they could fix his heart. Takes after Mrs. June’s side of the family in size but my side in looks and build. All the men on her side are pretty good sized but he’s still too skinny for his height to do him much good. Well, I need to get or Max will want to know what we were talking about.”

“Tell him the truth. I always do.”

“Hopefully he won’t ask,” she said and then told me bye and left. It was one worry off my mind that I hadn’t offended all of Max’s family by being so high-handed. By then my stomach was starting to squirm but I put it down to nerves. Uncle Red and Lawrence had already said goodbye so I packed my stuff up and started out to the car nodding at the few that looked my way.

I realized on my drive back to the cabin that I was lonely. I wanted to call and talk to my parents so bad but at the same time I knew my folks had already said all they were going to say about it. I also knew that this was their way of saying that it was time that I stood on my own two feet and I had to do it without being propped up and told what to do. They expected me to know what to do. There were still unresolved questions in my mind but without anyone to talk to about them it was nothing but shouting into the wind to think about them. It felt like a test of some type. I hate people doing that, even my parents. You want to test me then be upfront about it, don’t pull any psychological tricks.

By the time I got back to the cabin I was so glad that Zane had fixed the old sticky door and lock that I was beside myself. I’ve been in and out of the bathroom ever since crossing the threshold. And doggone it now I feel like I’m getting a fever.

 

[Kathy in FL]

Chapter Twenty-Four

The pounding would not stop. I cracked my eyes open and realized no matter how it might feel the pounding wasn’t just in my head. I glared at the clock and saw it was only 3 am. I wobbled a bit as I got out of bed and then wobbled even more to get to the door. I stopped along the way to get the small pistol out of my nightstand drawer. Finally at the door I heard crying.

“Syd! Syd!!”

Crap! “Max?!”

I threw the door open with my gun drawn, jerked him in and then slammed the door shut and through the bolt. I fell to the floor beside the wet, muddy boy and said, “Max! What’s wrong?! How did you get here?!”

“I ran! Terrance, I don’t know … I was in bed and then I saw him over me and then I don’t know and then I woke up and heard those people. I ran and … and … I didn’t know where I was until I saw the rooster on your cabin.”

“Wait … you saw …”

“The moon is out. It stopped raining.”

“It’s … it’s been raining? My head is killing me. We gotta call Zane.” I fumbled for my cellphone.

Max whimpered. “Hurry Syd! They’re coming. They’ll get us, I know they will.”

“Bull crap they will. Go down to the basement. Get under the stairs in that storage closet and lock it from the inside.”

“No! I’m staying with you.”

I didn’t argue with him. My cellphone wouldn’t work very well down in the basement so I dialed Zane’s number and walked over to the top of the cellar stairs.

Sleepy and just a shade grumpy Zane answered, “Huh?”

“Wake up Zane. I need you to wake up right now. I think I’ve lost some time someplace but Max is here at the cabin. He says Terrance took him from the house.”

“The F*** you say!”

Zane must wake up real fast because he went storming through the house and then started cursing a blue streak. He yelled for Josh, Junior and probably anyone else within earshot.

“Zane!”

“I’m coming.”

“No, listen. I … I think … I was sick after leaving church and I’ve been sleeping so I may not make the best sense but Max said that he wound up in some house set back from the lake. He didn’t know where he was at until he saw the weather vane on the cabin but he’s scared to death that those people are following him. I’m taking him down to the cellar … you know where I’m talking about ‘cause Daddy must have showed you. I’m locking him in. Then I’m calling the Sheriff, Lawrence, and Uncle Red. And when everyone gets here I’m going to have a shotgun and I am going to be twitchy. Understand?”

“You get right down in that …”

I couldn’t hear what he would have said because the door started pounding again and I heard Terrance yelling, “I know he’s in there. You can’t keep me from Max. He’s mine!”

I growled, “No he isn’t.” To Zane I asked, “You heard? Call the cops for me will you?”

The pounding on the door was getting pretty frantic and all sorts of foul language was filling the air. I walked to the coffee table and slid out a hidden drawer and took out my personal shotgun from the space it occupied. I deliberately loaded it with slugs rather than shot while telling Max, “Go downstairs now Max.”

“But …”

“Now. You found your way to me, and you trust me to keep them from getting you. And that’s what I’m going to do. But it isn’t something I want you to see. OK?”

“Syd …”

“Git right now,” I told him in a tone I knew he would recognize from Zane when he was topped off and not in the mood for more.

Max swallowed then disappeared down the stairs. No one was getting in the cellar. The one outside window was only about eight inches high. The glass in the frame had wire in it. Then there was iron rebar on the outside like a cage and a steel shutter on the inside. One of the projects in the works was to reinforce the front door and replace the old crossbar that has been there since Dr. Pepper was an intern but since it had kept out more than one bear over the years, I was hoping it would keep out one drug-crazy man.

Make that more than one drug-crazy man. “Whooooweeeee, I smell me some girl child in there. C’mon out Honey, we won’t hurt you. We just want to talk, maybe have some fun. You don’t have to play if you don’t want to but we do need to talk.”

I didn’t bother answering. Daddy said when faced with the enemy not to bother wasting your breath trying to talk them out of anything because 99.9% of the time you wouldn’t be able to and it would just be a waste of your air. Plus, not responding sometimes rattled them worse. The front door was the only weak spot. The shutters were all down both upstairs and down. The cellar was secure. I just needed to make sure that if they did manage to get through the door that they received a portion of what their actions warranted.

Part of the problem was that I wasn’t twenty-one. I couldn’t get a license to carry a handgun until I was. But I didn’t need to have a license to carry a long gun … per state law. While the fools outside were trying to talk me into responding I put my handgun in the coffee table and put a lock on it. Might seem foolish to some but this way I could say that even had I picked it up it wouldn’t have done me any good.

“I can hear you moving around in there. I want my boy!”

“Yeah, give him his boy. Or … or we’ll call the cops. That’s right, he told us all about how you’ve been out to kidnap Maxey. Now you’ve gone and done it.”

I sighed. Idiots. Did they think I didn’t have a phone or what? Speaking of phones, I picked up the phone and dialed Lawrence. Turns out he was already on his way. I explained the situation and they decided to come in quiet and surprise them to see how many they could catch. If they came in with their lights flashing and everything else all they would have done is scramble. The Sheriff department around here had just started to require their deputies to wear those cameras that recorded all of their interactions while on duty.

It was nerve wracking waiting for the cops to arrive. It seemed like it took forever even though it only took the first one ten minutes to get there because he had been answering a call on the other side of the lake. Lawrence called and told me to stay inside and to go down to the cellar until he called me up. And that’s what I did. By the time Max’s family arrived it was pretty much at the clean-up phase.

 

[Lake Lili]

Such a good story! Thanks Kathy
Lili

 

[CGTech]

Great Story! Thanks Kathy!

 

[teedee]

Thank you doesn't seem like enough but thank you dear lady!!!

 

[sssarawolf]

Thank you.

 

[ydderf]

I Suppose there is no sense complaining about being allergic to cliffs. Thanks Kathy

 

[ejagno]

Thank you

 

[Shooter]

"Where's the kaboom? There was supposed to be an earth-shattering kaboom!"

 

[Dumb Blonde]

"Where's the kaboom? There was supposed to be an earth-shattering kaboom!"

I read that in Marvin's voice!